Roses Are Red, Snow is White
by Ghuuunt
Summary: Ruby Rose is a shy girl starting college who just wants to make friends. When she is stuck with someone who she can't get along with, Ruby thinks her first year of college is ruined. Fate however, has deemed otherwise...
1. Chapter 1: Leaving Home

**Episode 1: Leaving Home**

Ruby Rose cracked open her silver eyes, still bleary with sleep. Her alarm was going off, and it was blasting music from her favorite rock station. _Darn thing, I must have set the time wrong. I'm so tired, I should have a few hours of sleep left_ , thought Ruby groggily. She looked at the clock. It read 8:30. _When was the initiation again? Whatever, I'm up now,_ Ruby thought, as she slowly rolled herself out of bed, taking her rose-pattern blanket into the bathroom, disrobed, and entered the shower. As she let the hot water run over her back and through her red-tinged hair, the same anxious thoughts entered her mind for what seemed like the hundredth time. _What if Yang and I grow apart? What if I can't make any friends? What if I'm treated different because I'm younger. What if people think I'm Professor Ozpin's favorite just because he knows Uncle Qrow?_ These thoughts could have tumbled around Ruby's head endlessly, were it not for her sister Yang. "Rubes, I'm up!" accompanied with a knock on the door let Ruby know her half-sister needed to get into the bathroom.

"Be out in a minute!" called Ruby softly.

Sufficiently woken up and feeling refreshed, Ruby headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Yang's mother, and her (sorta) stepmother was doing something with dishes at the stove.

"Is there anything cooking?" asked Ruby. "Bacon and eggs could help my nerves a lot right now," she added sheepishly. Her relationship with Yang's mom was...complicated, to put it lightly.

"Sorry sweetie, Yang woke up before you, and I only made enough for her father and her to eat before Taiyang rushed out the door." Raven said. This is what it was like all the time: 'Oh sorry Ruby, we thought you wouldn't be hungry!' or, 'Sorry, there really isn't enough room.' Ruby could hardly blame her, but she thought since today was a big day things would be different. Ruby went over to the pantry and sifted through the various brands of cereals, finally deciding on Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes. _Aw yeah, comforting, sugary, Pumpkin Pete's. Perfect._ As she poured herself a bowl of cereal, she spotted Yang coming down the stairs.

"Hey little sis, you excited?" asked Yang.

"Try um, maybe a little queasy?" ventured Ruby.

"Oh Rubes, chill out, it'll be fine! College is great! And, of course, you're getting a full ride AND you're here two years ahead of the kids your age! I'm soooo proud of you!" said Yang

"Shut up!" said Ruby, "You sound like Dad, plus, that's not really what matters. What if I'm treated different because I'm younger, or if I can't make any friends? I didn't get to take my friends with me to Beacon." ended Ruby, looking crestfallen.

"Cheer up, sis, look on the bright side! At least nobody knows about that time you exploded in chemistry."

"Hey! That wasn't my fault, we aren't supposed to talk about that," said Ruby, as Yang dodged various objects being thrown at her by her sister.

"Ok, ok, I'll drop it, let's get on the bus and go! Oh man, I can hardly wait!" exclaimed Yang as she dragged a much-less-enthusiastic Ruby behind her. The two emerged from their home into the bustling streets of Vale. If you didn't know they were sisters, you would never be able to tell. Ruby had short-cropped black hair with tinges of red at the ends, wearing black pants and a military-looking jacket with the name Rose printed on it. She also had rose headphones around her neck, connected to something in her backpack. Yang, on the other hand, wore jean shorts with a plain white tee, the image of relaxed and ready. Yang's violet eyes scanned the street and found what she was looking for.

"Rubes, look, it's the university bus!" she pointed out the bus to Ruby, whose face turned even paler at the thought of leaving home. As they entered the bus, Ruby put her headphones, her vision growing slightly glassy as she lost herself in the music. Unfortunately for her, this lapse of attention caused her to trip on the steps of the bus, but she was caught by a blonde guy who had the look of someone who rarely left home.

"Woah, woah, watch it there, wouldn't want you to start college like that, tripping on some steps. Jaune Arc. Pleased to meet you."

"Ruby Rose. So you go to Beacon too?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah well, starting today, that is. I'm excited, but I'm also nervous." remarked Jaune. "Come sit down, we can talk while we drive there." Ruby, slightly apprehensive, but taken aback by his friendly yet somewhat forward introduction, sat down, but managed to shoot a glare at Yang while Yang gave her a wink and a smile.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Step

"...and that is why they called me Vomit Boy." finished Jaune. He glanced at a horrified Ruby, who had obviously not enjoyed his story. She looked across the aisle at Yang who could hardly contain her laughter. _This is starting out great,_ thought Ruby. After a torturously long and boring ride, only punctuated by Jaune's awkward conversation, the bus pulled to a stop in front of the ancient towers of Beacon University. As the doors creaked open, Ruby was the first to dash off, followed by her sister.

"Ugh, I thought that would never end." said Ruby to Yang as Jaune walked away.

"Ok sis, I'm gonna go see my dorm situation, I got one with my friend Blake. Seeyoulatergottagobye!" yelled Yang as she sped away.

"Bu...but..." Ruby murmured. _I guess I can go see who I have a dorm with. The way today is going, it'll probably be Jaune. Maybe worse._ Ruby wandered in the open courtyards of Beacon until she found where you get your keys. _Just look on the bright side, Ruby, stay optimistic,_ she told herself. She walked up to a table.

"Hi, uh, my last name is Rose, I'm here for my keys?" said Ruby uncertainly.

"Rose, huh? Ok, what year are you?"

"Oh, I'm uh, a freshman."

"Ok. Let's see here...Rose...found ya! Here's your keys, and welcome to Beacon!" said the enthusiastic helper at the table.

"Yeah, thanks," said Ruby, reading the name tag on their shirt. "Thanks, Coco. Cool outfit." As Ruby turned around and left the table, however, she bumped into a girl in an ice-white dress, who then dropped all her bags.

"Ugh! What are you doing! Are you aware of the damage you could have caused? Give me that!" screamed the girl.

"Sorry," said Ruby, handing her one of many cases that were now strewn about on the floor. "It, it was an accident, I'm sorry!"

"Unbelievable! You complete dolt!" sneered the girl. "Aren't you a little _young_ to be attending Beacon? This isn't your ordinary community college! It's a world-renowned university! It's not a place for kids, so watch where you're going!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry, _princess_. How dare I disturb you! Said Ruby, getting defensive.

"It's heiress actually. I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee energy, the largest producer of power in the world! The company that keeps your lights on? Does that ring a bell, dunce?" said Weiss.

"Uh, yeah, look, I'm sorry, I really am, I'll make it up to you!" said Ruby, dashing away. Not before, however, she could hear the cry of frustration and disgust from behind her. _Guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day._ Resigned to take a break from meeting people, Ruby headed over to the auditorium where Headmaster Ozpin would give a brief initiation speech, then she planned to move into her dorm. She barely had any bags anyway. After a little waiting around, Ruby found Yang to sit next to for the speech. Ozpin walked up to the mic and cleared his throat.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here in search of knowledge. You have come to hone your craft, regardless of what it is, and acquire new skills. However, I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at Beacon will come to prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

"Huh, he seemed...off, remarked Yang."

"Yeah, he's pretty nice though, I met him a little while back" remarked Ruby. "Hey, what's your dorm number?"

"Oh, um lemme see...305, what's yours?"

"Yes! I'm just down the hall in 326!" exclaimed Ruby. _Finally, something good!_ "Anyways, Yang, I still have to move in and meet my roommate. Wish me luck!"

"Ok, good luck sis, see ya later!" called Yang.

 _Man, I really hope I get someone nice,_ thought Ruby as she approached her dorm. There were various men with dollies moving furniture and appliances into the room. _Well, at least they have a lot of nice stuff_ , she thought. As she rounded the corner into her room and saw her roommate for the first time, all thoughts vanished from her head, replaced only with a sense of dread. In the middle of the room, ordering around all the workers, was Weiss Schnee.

"Move it to the left! Not your left, mine, you dolt!" Weiss said, glancing at Ruby as she entered. However, once she saw who her roommate was, she did a comical double take, followed by an indignant "You!"

"Hey there, Weiss," said Ruby sheepishly.

"This can't be happening!" wailed Weiss. "Just leave the fridge and go!" she screamed at her workers.

"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Why don't we just pretend we just met? Hi, Weiss, I'm Ruby. Wanna be friends? We can go shopping for school supplies!" said Ruby

"Oh wouldn't that be great! We can try on clothes, and paint our nails, and go shopping, and talk about cute boys! Oh, wait, no. We can't. Because we have met. And _you_ almost damaged _my_ property." Weiss spat out the words with a vitriol that did not go well with her beautiful face. _Huh, that's weird, thought Ruby. She_ is _pretty, but she would look a lot better if she wasn't mad at the world._

"Look, I'm new here, and so are you. We're gonna have to get along, and make new friends. You can come meet my sister if you want?" ended Ruby awkwardly.

"I think I would rather stay here and get ready for classes tomorrow," said Weiss.

"Suit yourself," said Ruby, dropping her bags on her side of the room. "I really do want to make up with you. Please, just give me a chance." she said as she closed the door to her room and walked sullenly down the hall. "Welcome to Beacon" she said drily. Opening the door to Yang's room, Ruby came upon a scene of utter bedlam. The room was in a state of chaos, and the only thing that looked like where it was supposed to be was a huge poster of Yang's favorite boy band, The Achieve Men. A raven haired girl saw Ruby ad rushed up to her.

"Help!" she said

"You must be Blake, nice to meet you. I take it you've never seen how Yang lives before, have you?" said Ruby with a chuckle.

"There's just so much!" exclaimed Blake, exasperated. Yang lounged on a couch, staring at the ceiling.

"I'd say it's a great first day!" said Yang

"Yang. I think you might be the only person here who could possibly say that." said Ruby and Blake at the same time.

 **Later that night...**

Weiss was already asleep, but Ruby was restless. As she stared out the window at the shattered moon, she reflected about the day's events. _Weiss is pretty crabby, but Yang and Blake seem to be happy. Besides, Yang can make friends with anyone–maybe she can get Weiss to lighten up. I have a lot of classes with her. I really hope we can be friends._ As Ruby laid her head down on her pillow, her last thoughts before sleep took her were ones of hope.


	3. Chapter 3: A White Rose Sprouts

"Yes, children. Why, the Faunus War is considered to be the most heinous act of genocide and discrimination in all of history!" exclaimed the exuberant Dr. Oobleck, the professor for Intro to Remnant History. "And that is why I will be assigning you a project. You are to partner with one other person, and deliver at the end of the semester a speech on the Faunus War. Who is at fault? Could it have been prevented? How? A full syllabus will be on my website..." as Oobleck droned on, his voice seemed to fade into the distance as Ruby lost herself in thought. _Who will I get? Yang would be cool, but it's a big class, and she wants me to branch out. Weiss would be, convenient? I don't know about her. We have a lot of classes together, and we share a dorm, so I think she'll warm up to me, but honestly there's no telling what could happen._ "Miss Rose!" jerked Ruby out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"You are to be partnered with Miss Schnee. I tried to make these partnerships as close together on campus as possible. Seeing as you are her roommate..." Oobleck trailed off. Ruby glanced over at Weiss, who was wearing another dazzling skirt and less-than-dazzling expression. She looked...not angry, just...resigned. _That's a step in the right direction,_ thought Ruby. The bell rang shortly after. It was Weiss and Ruby's last class. As they got back into the dorm, Ruby dove onto her bed and let out a big sigh.

"One week down, one gazillion to go," she said. "Yang wanted to do something tonight. I promise I won't be weird or whatever you think I am, I just want us to get to know each other a little, have some fun."

"I think your definition of fun is vastly different from mine," said Weiss coldly. "However, I have been told by others to...branch out. So I will go."

"Yes!" exclaimed Ruby. "Get cleaned up or put on makeup or whatever it is princesses like you do, then head over to Yang's room. See ya there!"

As Ruby skipped out the door, she could catch Weiss calling, "It's heiress, you dolt!"

Later, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang were all gathered in the dorm.

"Okay, so Yang knows the place, so I'll let her do the talking." said Ruby.

"Yeah. So, unlike Ruby, the quirky, reclusive city girl, I am the type of girl who enjoys a party. In high school, I would go adventuring at night. I looked old enough to not have the, shall we say, less reputable bars not to ask and for guys to buy me drinks. I found this place during one such adventure. The owner's name is Junior. Don't bring it up: he gets a little sensitive about it. Anyway: it's got crappy EDM music, cheap drinks–in other words, it's a perfect place to get drunk and have some fun." Yang finished.

"I, for one, as a Schnee Energy figurehead, cannot be seen consuming alcohol as a minor!" exclaimed Weiss.

"It'll be fine!" reassured Yang.

"Whatever." said Blake, rolling her eyes.

"I trust Weiss," added Ruby.

"We should put it to a vote," suggested Weiss.

"I...think we just did." said Yang.

Later, as thumping music played and lights flashed, Weiss said, "I can't even hear myself think!" Ruby was silent.

"Where did Blake and Yang go?" asked Ruby, eyes questing for her sister's telltale mane of gold hair. Unsurprisingly, she already was in a circle of people, laughing, while Blake sulked at the outskirts of the group, sipping gingerly at some drink. Ruby and Weiss sat down at one of the bars.

"Can I get anything for you?" asked the bartender.

"I'll have a Strawberry Sunrise, and she'll have...an apple-tini." said Ruby with a slight smile.

"Apple-tini?" asked Weiss.

"You'll like it, it's sweet," reassured Ruby.

Like a river wore away it's banks, Ruby noticed a change overtake Weiss, starting with her third apple-tini. It started with a tapping of the feet to the music, then a bobbing of the head. Ruby couldn't help but notice and smile. _The Ice Queen thaws_ , she thought.

"So, Weiss, having fun?" she asked.

"I am merely trying to do whatever it is...normal people...do," Weiss replied. "The music does grow on you, however."

"You wanna go dance?" asked Ruby with a smirk.

"Ah, what the hell," said Weiss. She drained the rest of her apple-tini like it was water and was promptly dragged into the crowd by Ruby.

The music was deafening. It make your teeth rattle and your head buzz. However, if you surrendered to the insistent, blaring sound, there was a certain enjoyment to be had from it. As Ruby and Weiss bobbed and swayed to the music, Ruby noticed Weiss was letting her hair down. _How cliché,_ thought Ruby. _Spoiled girl goes to college, hates her roommate, goes to a party, lets her hair down, falls in love. Next thing I know, there'll be some weird love triangle._ Her thoughts could have wandered more, but the music ended and Ruby and Weiss went back to the bar and sat down. Weiss was drinking apple-tinis like no tomorrow, and Ruby could see the effect they had.

"I am sooooo glad we came here," said Weiss.

"Yeah, it's nice to unwind after the week." agreed Ruby

"Ugh, I thought it would never end," said Weiss. "It's not like I really need to go to college. I could just have easily been tutored by my dad and his associates on running the company. It's all that I'm going to do when I'm older. But you know what? I realized something. I don't care. The company can go down in flames for all I care, because my entire life has been wasted trying to do what's best for the _family,_ for our _future._ What about what's best for me?!" cried Weiss. She collapsed sobbing onto Ruby, who was incredibly confused. _That must be really hard,_ thought Ruby.

"...It's...it's ok, Weiss," Ruby said, trying to soothe her. "You're here now. I'm here for you." Ruby stroked her hair. _It's so soft, like fresh fallen snow. I had no idea what really went on in her head. She must be so lonely._

"You...you are a good friend, Ruby." Weiss sniffled. She seemed to have got over the sudden emotional outburst. Weiss looked into Ruby's eyes. "They're beautiful," she said.

"Thanks," said Ruby. _What the hell?_

"You know, I feel like I can talk to you," slurred Weiss. "I don't have any friends; I'm a boring person."

"I'm your friend." suggested Ruby.

Weiss leaned in close. "I want to be more than friends" she breathed. Even with her face flushed and her hair down, she was beautiful. _Why am I thinking like this?_ thought Ruby. _I must have drank a lot more than I thought._

"Sorry, I just can't resist," whispered Weiss, as she pulled Ruby into a deep, fervent kiss.

 **A/N: Hi, so, I hope you liked the episode. I've been saving this episode since I started writing this fic, and I'm really excited to hear what you thought of it. Shoutout to r/RWBY for their support and some ideas for what the characters would be like when they went out drinking. Also, thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, or read my story. It really does inspire me and keep me motivated. I might post another episode today, but no** **guarantees :P. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed, and thank you again for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4: Realizations

"Wait, wait, no, what?!" exclaimed Ruby, breaking off the kiss. "Weiss, this isn't...I'm not..." Ruby then looked at Weiss. Her flushed face had turned pale, and she was staring at Ruby in horror and confusion. The fog of alcohol was gone from her eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I need to go." stammered Weiss, nearly leaping out of her chair and running to the exit.

"Weiss, come back! I don't know what's going on!" Ruby yelled after her. It was futile. Weiss was already gone. Yang walked up to Ruby.

"What just happened? Did Weiss just leave?" she asked. Ruby was silent. Yang shook her.

"Ruby, I need to know what's going on right now."

"I...guess Weiss didn't really like the whole situation," Ruby murmured. She was obviously in shock.

"Blake!" called Yang. "We should go. It's about time anyway." The girls caught a cab back to their dorms, and as they parted ways, Yang pulled Ruby aside.

"Hey, did something happen? I feel like Weiss wouldn't just leave if she didn't like it. There would be a lot more complaining. You and her looked like you were having fun!"

"Yang, right now, I just want to go to sleep. I promise we'll talk tomorrow, ok?" said Ruby.

"Ok. But you have to be honest with me."

"I will." Ruby started down the hall. "Goodnight, sis."

"G'night Ruby!" Yang called. Ruby reached her dorm. _I hope Weiss didn't do anything crazy,_ she thought, pulling open the door. The light in the bathroom was still on. The fan was on, but the smell of vomit still reached Ruby's nose. _I guess Weiss came back here_ , she thought, turning off the light and shutting the door. She peeked over at Weiss' side of the room, and saw that she was asleep in bed. _Tomorrow_ , thought Ruby. _I mean, she might not even be gay, we had a lot to drink, there's no telling what could happen. I certainly don't think_ I'm _gay. Sure, I've never had a boyfriend, but I've never had any feelings for a girl either._ As Ruby tossed and turned in her own bed, these thoughts filled her mind until, exhausted, she collapsed into a fitful sleep.

Weiss cracked her eyes open, still gummy with sleep. _Why does my mouth feel on fire! And my throat hurts. Come to think of it, everything hurts._ Her body ached with a throbbing pain. _This is what a hangover must be like,_ she thought. Weiss slid out of bed, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them, however, she discovered she was not, in fact, in her customary sky-blue nightgown, but was naked but for her underwear.

"Ruby, don't look!" Weiss called, dashing to her dresser.

"What?" called Ruby, who was in bed but already up. She rounded the corner that separated their beds, and immediately her face turned bright red. Ruby performed a quick about-face, and dove back into her bed. "Sorry Weiss!" she called.

"You dolt! I specifically said _don't_ look! Honestly Ruby, it's not very hard" Weiss said, coming around the corner to glare at Ruby.

"You have a cute butt though," Ruby teased.

"Ahhh! Stop it!" Weiss called. "I'm going to take a shower!" The white-haired girl stormed off into their bathroom.

 _She is a complete dolt,_ thought Weiss angrily, stepping into the hot water. _However, I would like to have a friend. While she admittedly has her flaws, Ruby has been good to me. I should be nicer. Especially after last night..._ her thoughts trailed off. Even though nobody could see her, Weiss' face turned red. _I'm not even gay! And those things I said about my family: I don't feel that way! Well, not all the time anyway. But if some things I said are true, are all of them?_ Weiss shuddered, and squeezed a copious amount of shampoo-conditioner into her hand. _I feel so dirty._ Midway through Weiss' shower, she realized that instead of using her own shampoo, she had grabbed Ruby's rose-scented shampoo and conditioner. _Oh, and I used so much!_ Resolving that there was nothing to do, Weiss kept using it. _It does smell good. It's a very relaxing scent_. _Maybe that's why I felt at ease with Ruby last night._ Weiss turned off the water, stepping into her towel. She then took another towel, and wrapped her hair into a turban to dry. She left the bathroom and walked into the common area.

"Ruby, I'm really sorry, I hope you don't mind that I accidentally used your shampoo. I think I'm pretty hungover." said Weiss with a slight smile on her lips.

"Oh it's fine," said Ruby, "Although, if you ever use it again, you might want to go a little easy on how much you use. You smell like a garden." remarked Ruby. "If you are feeling under the weather, I'll take care of you though." she suggested

"Really? You're a great friend, Ruby." said Weiss.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," said Ruby, a mischievous smile growing on her face. "About last night..."

"At least, that's how I remember it," finished Ruby.

"For me, it's all a bit foggy," remarked Weiss. "I trust your story."

"So, like, are you gay?" asked Ruby. "I mean, you did kiss me." _And I loved it._ The thought took Ruby by surprise and threw her into turmoil. _Where did that come from? I hate you, brain,_ she thought.

"I...don't think so," said Weiss. "I've kissed boys before, back in Atlas. Some were terribly dashing." _Stop lying to yourself, you hate the boys Father makes you meet,_ thought Weiss, _Besides, I haven't kissed too many. They really were not handsome, despite their stories of how they had tons of girls begging for them at whatever school they were at. I can't let Ruby know if I'm gay._ I _don't even know if I'm gay. I'm not positive how well Father would take that._

 _I can't let Weiss know,_ Ruby thought. _I mean, we were both drunk! I don't even know if I like Weiss when I'm sober. Besides, what would my dad and stepmom think? I'm certainly not a favorite around the house, and I'm not sure if they would be very open-minded._

Both girls "forgave" each other for the "mishap" of last night, resolving never to talk about it again. Ruby explained to Yang the whole situation, and although Yang was skeptical, she didn't press the issue.

"Whenever you're ready to talk, Rubes, I'm here for ya," she said.

"Seriously, Yang, it was nothing. _Don't_ read anything into it. Ok?" Ruby threatened.

"Ok." said Yang, raising her hands defensively. "But you know what they say about girls with short hair..."

"Shut up, Yang!" Ruby yelled. That was the end of it, at least for Yang. For Ruby, however...

Weiss could hear Ruby's signature rock music blasting from inside their dorm before she opened the door.

"Ruby, please, if you are going to play it that loud, at least wear headphones," Weiss suggested. She caught a few words of the song before Ruby plugged her audio jack into her laptop, then her rose headphones.

 _I kissed a girl_

 _and I liked it,_

 _the taste of her cherry lipstick_

Weiss glanced over at Ruby, who was paying no attention. _Is she just teasing or, or..._ Weiss reflected on the implications of such a thing, and quickly chose the other option.

"Ruby, are you working on the Faunus War project? We should get some done before our little break here, we only have a few weeks left after this long weekend." she said.

"Yeah, it's just..Weiss, I don't like the stance we are trying to take. It wasn't completely the fault of the Faunus, we are just to blame as they are." Ruby said.

"The terrorist acts of the White Fang and other Faunus supremacy groups led to the use of deadly force by humans, Ruby! We only reacted to what _they_ were doing!" Weiss spluttered. "You know, I thought you, of all people, would understand my point of view. We're friends, remember?"

"Weiss, one thing friends do is call each other out when they're being mean. What if I was a Faunus? Or Blake? Or Yang? Would you still be friends with them?" Ruby countered.

"Of course, Ruby," Weiss said, softening her voice, realizing what she was doing. "I'm sorry. I just...the White Fang has targeted my family company ever since I can remember. They are malicious, evil, and very effective. My father would come home fuming on a regular basis, and that made for a very...difficult childhood." Weiss ended.

"I'm sorry Weiss, I didn't know..." Ruby trailed off. "Look, I'll work on the project over the weekend, you can just visit with your family. Maybe you could ask your dad's opinion."

"Really? Oh thank you Ruby, you really are my best friend," said Weiss, pulling her into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Well, we both know each other's phone numbers, so if you ever want to get in touch, just...you know, text me or something."

"I will," Weiss assured. After a couple of hours, Ruby was gone with Yang, driving back to Vale City to see their family. Weiss walked down with her bags to a Schnee energy company car, where she was driven to an airship that would take her home. As it lifted above the clouds, Weiss could see the kingdom of Vale spreading beneath her. _Somewhere down there is Ruby,_ she thought. _I wonder if I should tell my parents or Winter. I trust Winter, I'll ask her about it._ And so Weiss resolved to take a leap of faith. _Should I tell Ruby? Not over text, no, that's not possible. But I don't know if I have the courage._

"Missing the Ice Queen?" asked Yang, glancing over at Ruby, who was leaning her head sullenly against the window of the bus they were in.

"No, not really, just thinking," said Ruby absentmindedly. She ignored the tease that Yang obviously intended with her question, instead turning inward to her own thoughts. _I wonder if I tell Yang that I'm gay? That I'm in love with Weiss? Is it love? I can't tell. Could I tell Weiss? Maybe over text I could imply something. No, no, that would ruin our friendship. But she kissed me! How can I still be thinking about this? It's been weeks, but all I can think about is Weiss. Her hair, her skin, her beautiful eyes. Once she stopped being cold to me, we became really good friends._ Ruby stared up at the clouds far above them. _Somewhere up there is Weiss. Safe travels, my love,_ thought Ruby, as the bus rolled onward toward an uncertain future.

 **A/N: Ok, hoped you liked the chapter, I've been trying to make longer ones since the first episode. I think the schedule for now is one episode a day, but when school starts back up I'm sure it won't be as frequent. Again, thank you to everyone who has followed or favorited my story. Any feedback is always appreciated! See you next time everyone.**


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

Ruby stared at the ceiling. She and Yang had got back home in the middle of the night, but Ruby wasn't tired. _Is this love? I've never felt like this before, much less about another girl. Amazing what one kiss can do. Weiss says she isn't gay, but how do I know? She could be feeling just like me, confused but at the same time buzzing with energy, full of vitality, restless. She's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Her eyes, her hair, her_ everything _, makes me crazy. I have to tell someone. I can't hold it in, I can't! But at the same time, I'm not brave enough to tell anyone. I want to be seen for who I am, not for what I am. Dad says he loves me no matter what, but sometimes I'm not so sure. It was a tremendous act to bring me into his house, a daily reminder of his affair. Raven doesn't like me. I can't blame her. Still, it doesn't make me feel any better, being looked at like a mistake, a curse, a memento to someone's sins. I can't be hated for something I have no control over. I am who I am, and my mom was who she was. There is no changing that. It is Dad and Raven that have to change. I have no illusions about how they would react if I told them I was gay. They don't see who I am. They only see me as a mistake. I'm certainly more than that, right? I got a full ride to Beacon two years ahead of people my age. Still, to be held on a pedestal separates me from people who could be my friends. Except Weiss. Because she knows how it feels, to be an outsider, to be treated differently because of something you did, or your family name. I wonder how Weiss is. I wonder if she would text me back if I texted her right now._ As these thoughts took hold of Ruby, tears streamed down her cheeks. _I just don't want to feel alone._

Weiss walked up to the tall oak doors of Schnee Manor. As she approached, the doors were opened by a kind, homely looking man with receding hair. "Welcome home, Miss Schnee," he said.

"Thank you Walter, is my room ready?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, Miss Schnee. Will that be all? Perhaps a late-night snack?"

"No, thank you, Walter. Goodnight." Weiss said.

"Goodnight." Walter replied.

Weiss trudged up the many stairs that led to the third floor, then down the hall to her room. Her bed had sheets, the floor was clean, everything was in order. _Except one thing,_ thought Weiss. She had thought of asking Ruby to come, but decided against it. _Coward,_ Weiss thought to herself. She quickly slipped into her nightgown and plopped onto her bed. _Why is this happening? Has some spell been cast over me? Why do I feel like I'm falling for this dorky girl with red hair? What about her is so charming? I went to Beacon so that I could get an education so I could run the family business, not fall in love! Not to realize I'm a lesbian! Why must I feel this way? Ruby clouds my thoughts constantly. I am a woman possessed! Or maybe, just in love? How could I love a girl I have known for just over a month? There is a difference between love and infatuation,_ Weiss reminded herself. _I don't care,_ she thought. _I really don't. I want Ruby. I want to feel her touch, smell her rose shampoo, kiss her cherry lips. I want to hold her against me, to kiss her, to love her. I have never felt so passionate in my life! I'm budding with energy, bursting with it! I must tell someone, anyone. I cannot stand to keep this to myself. All my life I've been searching for this, and I didn't realize I was. Is this what love feels like? I feel feverish. All I want is for Ruby to be mine and for me to be hers. It's all I need! I used to think that unless I was making my family proud, any actions I did were unnecessary. I don't give a damn what they think. It's time for me to have something I've wanted, lusted after, for so long without my knowing. From this point onward, I will no longer be the cold, calculated girl I was. I will be free. And for the first time, in a long time, I will be content. I wonder if Ruby is still up? It was a long drive, almost as long as this flight._ Weiss stared longingly at her scroll. _What would she think? What would I say? Remember Weiss, you are different now, you are free,_ Weiss thought as she grabbed the scroll. Quickly she located Ruby's contact. _I must change it to something other than Ruby Rose,_ she thought as she brought up the text feature. She tapped a message to Ruby:

Are you up?

Weiss rested her head on the bed, waiting. She didn't have to wait long.

Ya, why

Well, I was just making sure you got some safe

Oh ok. Ya well, I am, so sleep tight ice queen. Cya when we get back.

Ruby?

Ya?

I can't sleep.

Neither can I it's really dumb

Do you...want to talk?

Ya sure :)

I...have something to tell you.

Shoot.

I...Weiss looked up from her scroll. _What to say? I'm in love? No, I shouldn't tell her, not yet. What to say now? I have to tell her something..._

Ruby, my childhood was...difficult in some ways.

What, did ur parents put u in a ton of competitions?

Well yes, and I actually do still sing from time to time, but that's not what I meant. You know when we talked about the White Fang and my father?

Ya, u said the same thing that u did before about your childhood being difficult.

Well, Ruby, as I said, my father had a lot of...anger. Stress. Sometimes he would yell, sometimes he would throw things. That scared me and my sister, but what scared me the most was when he got real quiet, and I could hear glasses tinkling. He would walk into his study with a bottle of brandy, and come out red-faced, slurring, clumsy, and usually even angrier than before. One time, it was just me and my sister at home. Winter is younger than you, about a year. I tried to be the best big sister I could. Winter was basically my only friend, and the only person I could trust at home. I practically raised her. I could hear my father raging, and decided to do something different. I was tired of cowering in my room with Winter, holding pillows over our heads, shaking with fear. This time, I walked up to my dad. I thought yelling at him would get him to calm down. It was a stupid idea. I called him names, little kid bad words, like poop-head and stuff like that. This whole time, he was just leaning forward over the table. But when I finished, he snapped his head around, and I swear Ruby, I saw the Devil in his eyes. He hit me. Hard. It sent me sprawling. I was just a kid, about 10 years old. Have you ever seen the scar over my eye? That's because he still had his wedding ring on. At that speed, even a blunt object can cut you. When my mom came home, my dad was asleep in the bed, and Winter was crying over me, trying to patch up my eye. My father apologized profusely, moved out for a month, wrote love letters to my mom and me. Eventually my mom forgave him. I did too. But I never forgot. Because I learned something that Ruby: that in my father was the capability for cruelty, malice, violence. I resolved to be the opposite of him. However, I learned something else: that no matter how many times he said he was sorry, that he would never drink again, that his anger issues were solved, that I should never, ever, cross my father. So instead of being his opposite, I tried to be the perfect daughter. To always do what was best for him, the family, and the company. Things were never the same after that day 8 years ago. I was always a reminder of the time my father slipped, cracked, whatever you want to call it.

Ruby took a long time to respond, which Weiss expected. It was a lot to take in. _I've never told anyone about this,_ thought Weiss. _Why her? Why now?_ Her scroll buzzed. Ruby had replied.

I will never, ever come to even imagine how that felt. But, I do know what it's like to feel like a reminder.

Tell me, implored Weiss. _For saying that I'm in love with her, I really do know awfully little about Ruby._

Ok. So when my dad met my mom, my dad was already married. He had got upset, went to a bar, one thing led to another, my mom got pregnant with me. My dad's wife, Yang's mom, Raven, found out and was obviously furious. However, they worked things out and decided to try and move on as much as possible. My mom, Summer Rose, she was in the military, and she was, like, super mom. She did everything, from knife fighting to baking cookies to making chocolate milk from scratch. Then, one day, she went to an assignment over in Vacuo and was never seen again. To this day, I don't know what happened to her. I was pretty young then, only about 6 or 7. Anyway, after it was obvious my mom wasn't coming back, my dad took me into his house. Raven didn't like it. She looked at me and didn't see Ruby, but Summer. She saw my dad cheating on her. She saw what she thought was a "mistake", a by-product of my dad's infidelity. She never treated me right. Yang, though, was happy to have a younger sister. She kinda took on the whole mother figure role, and she is still really protective of me.

Ruby, I never knew that. Thank you for opening up to me, it must break your heart. I'm sorry I'm not with you to comfort you.

It's ok Weiss. I'm tired now, I think I'll go to bed. Also, I hope you liked that I tried to type the thingy all civilized like you do. Goodnight, Weiss.

Goodnight, Weiss texted, but there was no response. She had calmed down considerably as well, and was ready to go to sleep. _That poor thing, never treated like a person. That really must have screwed her up, not being raised with the whole love and affection thing. Come to think of it, you could apply that to me,_ thought Weiss sleepily. _Tomorrow, tomorrow will be different._ She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed, this is about midnight my time that I'm writing this, because the idea popped into my head. I hope that this satisfies the need for exposition for the time being, although next episode we'll be exploring Yang's whole mindset about this. I also want to thank you all so much again for your support, it means so much! I'll see you next time.**

 **P.S: 50 followers! That's crazy! I would never have thought that my little story would ever get this much support. Extra praise to all you guys a and girls!**


	6. Chapter 6: Confessions

Yang Xiao Long opened her violet eyes and sprung out of bed. _I'm home,_ she thought, _if only for a little bit. Today I'll get to tell Mom and Dad all about Beacon and my classes and Ruby! What's up with Ruby?_ Yang thought as she got dressed, brushed her teeth, and got in the shower. _She's been a little off...distant. And I know that she's younger and is still changing, but what's the cause? I've always been basically her only friend, but she hasn't been around me as much lately. It's not a bad thing, I just don't know what drew her to Weiss. Ever since that one night...could they be together? They barely know each other. I'm going to ask Ruby today. No teasing, just real talk. Sometimes, I wish people could take me more seriously._ Yang stepped out of the shower and dried off. Walking downstairs, she tried to think of how to ask Ruby. _How can I ask her in a way that doesn't make her defensive? Kindly, I guess. Not my cup of tea, but I need the truth._ Yang greeted her parents with a bear hug and a huge smile.

"Is Ruby up yet?" she asked.

"No, she hasn't come down here," said Taiyang.

 _Weird. She's usually up before me. We did get home late, but even then..._

"Ok!" said Yang. I'm gonna go see if she's up." Yang's parents didn't bat an eye. Yang finished breakfast and walked upstairs. She stopped at Ruby's door, slowly turning the knob and slipping inside. She didn't make a sound. Ruby's room was dark, the girl herself was still in bed. _What's that in her hand? A scroll? I swear, if she's doing something inappropriate..._ Yang stopped her thoughts before her protective instinct kicked in. _She's in college, Ruby can do what she wants. Even Weiss. Heh._ Yang looked up from the floor to find that Ruby was sitting up in bed.

"Uh, Yang? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hey sleepyhead, just wanted to ask you something. You know, you're growing up, and with that comes realizations about ourselves. I've noticed a change in you, Ruby. Ever since you kissed Weiss-"

"Hey, she kissed me!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Ever since Weiss kissed you, you've been acting a little different. Ruby, are you gay? I need to know. I won't judge you." Yang said.

Ruby looked crestfallen. "It's that obvious, huh," said Ruby. "To answer your question, Yang, yes, ever since Weiss kissed me I realized that I was gay, and I wanted Weiss. And I don't know if she feels the same way, or what your parents will think...or...or..." Ruby ended. Her eyes were glistening.

"Rubes, it's ok. I'm here." Yang rushed over to her sister and pulled her into a hug. "This doesn't change anything."

"Yes it does! It changes everything! I'm so confused, Yang, and I feel so alone, and can I even _be_ in love with Weiss?" Ruby sobbed.

"Of course, Ruby, please calm down, I'll get you some Pumpkin Pete's, then we're going shopping. I'm going to find an outfit for you that Weiss can't refuse." This brought a smile to Ruby's face.

"Ok," she agreed.

"And Ruby?" asked Yang.

"Yeah?"

"You do know what they say about girls with short hair..." Yang smirked and closed the door. She could still hear her sister's protests.

"Oh, Ruby, you look beautiful!" Yang exclaimed. Ruby was wearing a rose-red dress with black straps and chest that ended just above her knees.

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it. Can I get back into my pants? I like pants. I don't have the legs to wear a dress." Ruby said.

"Yeah, I think this is the one. Go ahead and get back into your boring old outfit." Yang teased. After the two left the shop, they walked down the streets of Vale City aimlessly, talking.

"So, when are you going to tell Weiss?" asked Yang.

"I don't know. Hopefully soon. I just don't want things to be awkward, you know?"

"No, Ruby, I don't, because it's obvious you two are into each other, now that I of course know you _are_ indeed into each other. She won't turn you down," Yang reassured. "However, we need to talk about how Mom and Dad are gonna deal with this. I'll be there for you, but they need to hear it from you. I know you're scared, but nothing bad will happen, I promise."

"Oh...ok...I'll try, Yang. But I know your mom will use it as an excuse to kick me out. She's been looking for one ever since I came to live here."

"Trust me, if she does, I'll deal with her." Yang's eyes smoldered. "And please, no more will-she won't-she crap about Weiss. She feels the same way about you, I guarantee it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was talking to her own sister about this."

Weiss stared at the ceiling. She'd been up for half an hour, but she was content to let her thoughts take her away to daydreams of Ruby, of talking to her, going on dates, kissing, cuddling, all things that she wanted desperately. _I'm going to tell Winter. She will accept me. What do I tell my parents? I can't lie to them, I can't keep this from them forever. My father is a bigot, but maybe Mother will be able to sway him. She's always tried to love me, however she isn't very patient. I should text Ruby-_ Weiss' thoughts were cut off as her younger sister burst into the room.

"I knew you were up, sis, why didn't you say hi last night? You know I stay up late. I'm a teenager, remember?" Winter jumped on Weiss' bed and started shaking her. "You gotta tell me all about Beacon. Is the weather nice over there? Did you make any friends? Did you go to any parties? Did-" Winter was cut off by a hand over her mouth.

"I am not talking," Weiss growled, "Until I have breakfast."

After a hurried breakfast of Winter staring across the table from her, Weiss walked down to the first floor, to one of many large rooms. She flopped onto a couch and let out a sigh.

"Okay, what do you want to know first?" she asked Winter.

"Tell me you made at least one friend."

"Hey! I'm not _that_ cold all the time!" Weiss looked over at Winter, who was taking that statement with a grain of salt.

"Well, actually, I did make a friend. Her name is Ruby Rose. At first, we met in some...unfortunate circumstances. I was getting the keys for my dorm, and this girl with short red hair and a military jacket runs into me and I drop my bags! She was quite apologetic, and I was like 'whatever' so she left. Then, when I'm ordering my luggage workers around, the same girl comes into my dorm! As it turns out, she got the same dorm as me. Remember, her first impression wasn't great, so things weren't looking good. But, as the first week wore on, I convinced myself that I should make friends with her so that this first year wouldn't be too awful. However, her...dorky...awkward? Personality made it hard for me to stay mad at her for long. Winter, what's the word for dorky and awkward and cute?"

"Adorkable?"

"Yes, her...adorkable...personality was endearing, in a way. After the first week of classes, she asked me to come with her sister to this one club. It was pretty...unsavory. However, I ended up having a lot of fun..." Weiss trailed off as she realized where this would bring the conversation. _Here goes._

"Winter, that night, I kissed Ruby. I didn't even really know her. I had never kissed a girl. But for some reason, she fills my thoughts! I've never felt this way and–Winter, what I'm trying to say is that I'm gay. I don't know if i'm in love, if that's even possible to be in love with Ruby. At the same time, I don't care. I want her, Winter, more than anything, and I just couldn't go on not telling anyone." Weiss' face felt hot. She looked at Winter, who looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Weiss, I'm happy for you, trust me, I am, but what will Father think? He's not known for his...open-mindedness. I don't know what to say..." Winter trailed off, hugged her sister. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you," she whispered.

"Thank you," said Weiss, a single tear rolling down her cheek. _I just hope things are ok with Ruby. That song she was listening to...it gives me hope for_ us. _When I get back, I'll ask her. I'm so afraid, but I can't stand to be without Ruby._

As Yang and Ruby sat down at the dinner table, Ruby could not believe what was about to happen. _It's just like a normal dinner, but this could be the biggest day of my life. Except, of course, when I ask Weiss out._ Raven had cooked a simple chicken marsala with green beans. Although Ruby's stomach churned with anxiety, she realized she was actually hungry and devoured the main dish. There was some small talk at the table, but when Yang saw that Ruby has finished her chicken, she caught Ruby's eye. _Now,_ her violet eyes seemed to say.

"Dad, Raven, I have something to say. As I grow older and experience new things, I realize things about myself. I don't really know how to say this so I just will: I'm gay. I like girls. But this doesn't change who I am. I hope you can accept me no matter what." Ruby sighed. _There. Regardless of what they say, it's out there. They know._

"Ruby, I am happy that you could share this–" Taiyang was cut off as Raven interjected.

"I'm not. We have rules in this house, and as long as we give you a bed, food, and clothes, you have to obey us. And _I_ do not want you flaunting around this house the fact that you're a lesbian. You attract enough attention, wearing your stupid mother's jacket all the time. Every time I look at you, I see _her_ staring at me, that bitch. You are a constant reminder of how close Taiyang and I came to seperating. I've tried to be as welcoming as possible, but I'm putting my foot down." Raven finished.

"Rules! I can't change who I am, Raven! I can't change who I love, and I can't change who my mom was–''

"Then go! Leave, you little freak! I don't ever want to see you again!" Raven screamed shrilly. Ruby, horrified, looked at Taiyang, who merely averted his eyes, looking at his shoes. Ruby turned to Yang, whose face was a mask of shock and rage.

"Let's go, Ruby." Yang muttered. Ruby threw on her jacket and rushed outside with her sister. It was fall, turning to winter, and as Ruby watched the tress shed their leaves, tears rolling down her face, she felt a kinship to those leaves. Cast away, forgotten, carried by the wind, without a place to call home.

 **A/N: Alright, I hoped you all liked the chapter. I really do not want to write something like that last scene again, it broke my heart, but I have a feeling I might have to. Next episode, we might have some White Rose moments (finally, lol) and a whole lot of angst coming up :). I wanted to say a huge thank you to anyone who left reviews, they helped me immensely! Thank you for telling me to take it slow, develop the plot. It's great hearing from you! See ya next time.**


	7. Chapter 7: Repercussions

Weiss ducked, weaved, and spun in the many sword forms she had learned when fencing. As usual, she wore her white earbuds, but instead of the orchestral music she preferred, Weiss instead played ruby's hard rock music. _It is certainly...invigorating..._ Weiss thought as she spun into Twisting the Wind. Practicing against sparring partners was stress relieving, but Weiss needed to be alone, instead whaling on a dummy. Falling Leaf twisted into Shake Dew From the Branch, then Weiss recovered and struck with Viper Flicks Its Tongue. _I will not let Father keep me from Ruby, no matter what he says. I will not!_ Apple Blossoms In the Wind spun down into Boar Rushes Down the Mountain, Weiss flowing into more and more aggressive forms until, abandoning all pretense of form, she reverted to hacking and slashing at the dummy. _I will tell him, and if he refuses to accept me, I will gut him like this dummy!_ Weiss screamed out loud as she finally took her rapier in both hands and decapitated the figure. She stood, dripping sweat, glaring at the walls of the sparring room as if they were hiding something. _Now. I must act now._ Winter opened the door.

"Hey, don't mean to interrupt, but dinner's ready." she said.

"Okay," Weiss responded. "Winter? I'm going to tell them." Winter simply nodded and closed the door. Weiss let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. _One way or another, it ends. Or begins._ She returned Myrtenaster to its hook on the wall before bidding farewell to the unfortunate practice dummy.

* * *

Dinner was amazing, as always. Even the Schnee household had numerous staff in charge of cooking and cleaning. Tonight's dish was tea-smoked duck with hot-and-sour soup. Usually, Weiss would have loved it, but she was too focused on her announcement. Her mother put down her fork and crossed her hands on her lap.

"So, Weiss, we know what you've told us already about Beacon, but is there anything else?" she asked.

"Well, there's this project I'm doing with my roommate on the Faunus War..." she trailed off. Any mention of Faunus was bound to take the conversation in an...undesirable direction. Weiss cleared her throat. _Here goes nothing._

"Mother, Father, it has come to my attention during my time at Beacon that I am...I'm...I'm gay." Weiss blurted it out before she could stop herself. _That's not how it was supposed to go! You had a plan!_ Weiss looked at her mother.

"Well, dear, I think that it's wonderful that you can tell us that," said Frieren Schnee. "Wolke," she muttered under her breath, shooting a glare at her husband.

"Yes, this is...wonderful." Silence hung in the air like a specter. Nobody spoke.

"Anyway, I thought I would let you know before I have to leave tomorrow. I'm going to retire for tonight." Weiss wiped her face with a napkin, stood, and walked away. "I'm glad you're happy for me." Her voice cracked at the last word. _Just keep walking, don't let them see you cry._ She ascended the stairs and sat down on her bed. Glancing over at her nightstand, she saw her scroll. Smiling, she took it in her hand. Scrolling through her contacts, she stopped at Ruby Rose. Tapping on the name, she deleted the 'Rose'. _That's a start, at least._ Weiss put in her earbuds and turned on rock music as loud as she could. _I'm coming, Ruby,_ she thought, as tears rolled down her face. Exhausted, hours later, Weiss drifted off to sleep. _I wonder if there is a ball to ask her to. No horrid parties. Something...sophisticated._

* * *

Ruby took out her scroll as she and Yang descended the steps out of the bus. 2:00 A.M. _Great,_ Ruby thought. _At least I can relax tomorrow, now that me and Yang don't have to leave then. I can't even process what happened. I need Weiss. I can't tell her now, not after what happened._ Ruby looked at Yang, who was looking pale and scared. _Is that how I look?_ Ruby thought. _How can I even hide this from Weiss?_ Ruby and Yang walked to their building, where they entered together.

"Rubes, don't even think about sleeping in your dorm. You can stay with me until Weiss comes back," Yang said with a wink. "You two better not get up to anything, you're still my baby sister Rubes."

"Thanks, Yang," Ruby said with a smile. "Can't make any promises about the second thing, though." Yang opened the door to their dorm, surprising Blake, whose face was lit by the screen of her laptop, her eyes wide as coins.

"Uh, Yang, you weren't supposed to see this." Blake said.

"Look, Blake, we'll talk later, right now, Ruby and I are going to go to sleep. She's gonna take my bed, can I maybe...sleep in yours? We can share. I promise I don't fidget," said Yang.

"Yeah, sure," said Blake.

"Aw yeah! Its like a slumber party!" said Yang, jumping into bed beside Blake. "Man, I'm tired." Ruby was already asleep in Yang's bed, and it didn't take Yang long to fall into a slumber as well.

* * *

Blake sipped her tea, bloodshot eyes staring at the coffee table.

"You are a liar, Yang. You are _very_ fidgety." she said sullenly.

"Sorry Blake, hopefully we won't have to do this again." Yang reassured.

"So are you ready to explain?" Blake asked Yang and Ruby.

"Yeah," said Ruby, before Yang could open her mouth. "Basically, I found out I'm gay, and when we tried to tell Yang's parents, it didn't go over too well. Yang's mom kicked me out, so Yang and I came here."

"Ruby, are you sure you're ok? That's terrible!" Blake exclaimed.

"Honestly, I was kinda prepared for the worst. There's just one thing now that I need to take care of." Ruby said.

"What's that?" asked Blake and Yang at the same time.

"Why, asking out Weiss, of course." Blake's eyes comically bugged out. Yang was less surprised.

"You know, there have been rumors of a winter ball going around," suggested Yang. "You could ask her to that."

"I don't know," said Ruby. "I think Weiss would want to be the one to ask me. I feel like she's more into the whole fancy/chivalry thing anyway."

"Well, I'll leave it to you if you want, but if you ever need any help," said Yang "Just ask."

Blake was trying to retreat into her cup of tea. "Can family time be over?" she asked. "Sorry, it's just...this is a little awkward for me." Ruby and Yang looked at each other and laughed.

Ruby opened the door to her dorm, hoping Weiss was inside. Upon entering, Ruby could see that she was not. She pulled out her scroll, going to her contacts. _Weiss Schnee. I'm changing her contact to a heart. That's so lame, but I don't care._ After making the change, Ruby texted Weiss:

 _Where are you?_

 _Almost there, Rubes_ was the response. _Since when did she call me Rubes?_ Thought Ruby. After firing off a quick response, Ruby opened her laptop and started working on their Faunus War project. _This will be a nice excuse to spend time with her, at least. We really are behind, though._ Ruby opened her music app on her laptop, opened her playlist labeled Feel Good, relaxed, and let herself daydream of Weiss.

Ruby awoke to the sound of a doorknob turning. _When did I fall asleep?_ She thought. She looked at the clock. _Geez, it's almost night. I bet that's Weiss!_ Ruby turned to see Weiss entering the dorm. She sprung out of bed and rushed up to her, grabbing her in a hug.

"Weiss! I missed you," Ruby said, smiling.

"And I you, dolt," Weiss replied. _This is it,_ thought Ruby _. She knows. I have to wait for the right time._

 _She has to know,_ thought Weiss. _I_ will _ask her to the ball. I hope she has something decent to wear._

"How was your weekend?" asked Ruby.

"Terrible," replied Weiss.

"Me too. Hey, so I don't have anything planned, do you wanna maybe...watch some movies?"

"I would love that," said Weiss. Ruby brought out her laptop and patted the bed beside her.

"C'mon!" she said. Weiss sat next to her, and they watched movies until Ruby fell asleep. As Weiss crossed the room to go to her own bed, she reflected: _Huh. Nothing happened between us. It just didn't feel like the time. I'm not even frustrated, or confused. I'm finally content._ For the first time in Weiss' life, she was uncertain about the future, but instead of feeling anxious, the prospect thrilled her. _Goodnight, Ruby Rose. I have plans for you._

 ** _A/N: Sorry, a bit of a short chapter, but I wanted to get this one up because the next might take a little longer. Shoutout to Wheel of Time for those sword forms, I love those books to death. Also, I tried to write in some subtle Bumblebee, just in case you want that to happen. Feel free to PM me or post a review of your thoughts on Bumblebee. See ya next time!_**


	8. Chapter 8: A White Rose Blooms

Weiss opened her eyes to see a golden beam of light bisecting her and Ruby's dorm. _Fool,_ she thought. _You should have remembered to close the blinds._ Weiss glanced at the clock. 9:25... _Our first class is at a quarter before ten!_ Weiss jumped out of bed.

"Ruby, are you awake?" _That's a stupid question, of course she's awake now,_ Weiss thought.

Ruby sat up groggily in bed. "Weiss, is something wrong?" she asked.

"It's 9:25 right now. Our first class is in 20 minutes!" Weiss exclaimed. Ruby swung her feet over the edge of her bed and stood up.

"We shouldn't have stayed up late watching movies," she said sullenly.

"Nonsense. It was fun. I would like to do it again." suggested Weiss. _Perhaps a romantic movie, maybe a rom-com? That would be a dream come true. My, is she beautiful._ Weiss realized she was staring and averted her eyes.

"Anyways, Ruby, just um...get ready as quick as you can. I'll let you shower if you want." Weiss said.

"Nah, your majesty can have the shower," teased Ruby. Weiss ignored her, instead going into the bathroom. Her shower was a quick one, except this time, she used Ruby's rose shampoo on purpose. _It smells just like her. I need to find out about the Winter Ball. I_ will _go with her, no matter what._ Weiss turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, surprising a very embarrassed Ruby.

"Ah! Sorry Weiss, I was just getting my toothbrush, I'm running away now!" squealed Ruby. She closed the door, blushing heavily.

"Dolt!" Weiss called after her. After getting ready, and many apologies form Ruby, the pair exited their dorm, rushing to their first class.

"Ruby," Weiss started, "I can't believe this slipped my mind, but...what's your major?"

"I'm Computer Science. Which are you? Very few majors require Data Structures and Algorithms." Ruby replied.

"I'm a Business major. After all, Schnee Energy is a family-run company."

"Right. Is that what _you_ want to do?" Ruby asked. Weiss gave her a strange look.

"It's what I have to do." They spoke no more until they entered the classroom.

* * *

"Yang, I have to ask: is everything ok?" Blake asked.

"Blake, me and Ruby explained that she was gay." Yang replied.

"But Yang, what about your parents? Ruby can't live here in the summer! Where is she going to go? She doesn't have any money!"

"Blake, don't worry. I'll think of something. I just need a little time."

"Yang, winter break is in just over a month, and when all the students go home, Ruby is going to need a place to stay."

"Blake!" Yang's voice turned sharp. "Stop worrying. I'm her sister. I love her. She won't have anything bad happen to her!" Realizing she was yelling, she softened her voice. Her violet eyes looked into Blake's golden ones.

"I'm sorry, Yang, it's just...I'm worried. Not just about Ruby, about you. We've been friends for a long time, and ever since I've known you, you have been like a mother to Ruby. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's just...sometimes you're too protective of her. She needs help and support from everyone. Even if you want to do this alone, Yang, you can't!" Blake finished.

"You're a good friend, Blake," Yang muttered, pulling her into a bear hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Sometimes, I just wish I could forget about Ruby, abandon her and leave. It's not easy. I would be...happy...if you helped me with this whole thing." she smiled. "Ok, let's get a plan. This weekend, we'll present it to Ruby. Also, we might need Weiss..."

The two girls worked whenever they could during the week, arguing, debating, bantering. Friday night, Yang lay asleep on her desk, homework strewn about. Blake watched her chest rise and fall rhythmically. _I envy her. I don't have many...connections._ The black haired girl took out her laptop and laid in bed, tapping furiously on the keyboard. After perhaps an hour, Yang lifted her head from the desk.

"What are you writing, Blake?" she asked sleepily.

"I...I was just..." Blake trailed off and hung her head. "Yang, you know I like anime, right?"

"Yeah, of course," replied Yang.

"Well, I've been writing fan fiction for a while, and...it's something I really love, but I'm also not very proud of it." Blake said sullenly.

"Blake, that's awesome! Can I read some of it?" Yang asked. Blake's eyes grew wide, and she seemed to shrink into the covers of her bed.

"No." she muttered.

"Well, whenever you're ready, I'd love to see it." said Yang. "Goodnight, Blake."

"Goodnight, Yang."

* * *

Ruby stretched her arms and collapsed into bed. "Ughhh, there are no movies left," she complained. Weiss sat beside her.

"Well, we could always work," she suggested.

"Here, I've got the Battle at Fort Castle slide about wrapped up for our Faunus War project." said Ruby, opening her laptop. Weiss leaned in close to inspect her work.

"Hmm, a capitalization error here, misuse of the Oxford comma..." Ruby toned out Weiss, instead staring at the beautiful girl in front of her. _Does her hair always sparkle like starlight? She smells like roses, has she been using my shampoo? I don't care, it makes her irresistible. If I could just..._ Ruby realized Weiss had asked her a question.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you." Ruby apologized.

"I know, dolt. I was asking you: are you gay?" Weiss' question took Ruby by surprise. Inside, she was reeling, but on the outside, she tried not to let it show. _We're so close, could I kiss her? She has pretty eyes. I..._ Ruby's thought trailed away as she leaned in close to Weiss.

"Yes," she breathed. Then, her world was bliss. Weiss' lips were upon hers, and for the first time in a long time, Ruby felt that everything was all right in the world. She broke off the kiss.

"Weiss–'' Ruby started, but was stopped when Weiss put a finger upon her lips.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time," she breathed.

"Me too." Their lips met again, and whatever Ruby was going to say slipped her mind. _Who cares? I'm in love,_ she thought, drunk with happiness.

"Do you want to watch some crappy romantic movie?" asked Ruby.

"I thought you'd never ask," whispered Weiss, nuzzling into Ruby's chest. Ruby selected one at random, and the two fell asleep, not watching the movie, Ruby stoking Weiss' hair, who refused to let go of Ruby. As Ruby was drifting off to sleep, words came to her and she was speaking before she knew it,

"I love you." Nothing had ever felt more right than that moment, that admittance of love. _This is heaven,_ thought Ruby, closing her eyes to dreams of eternal bliss.

 **A/N: Aw yeah, writing that White Rose fluff was awesome. In the next few episodes, I'm going to be trying to incorporate more Bumblebee story, because I got some PMs and reviews that asked for it. Pollination FTW :0 Looking forward to writing some angst :). Thanks for stopping by and reading, see ya next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: A Bump In the Road

Ruby awoke slowly, drifting in and out of sleep. _I must still be dreaming,_ she thought, seeing Weiss' arms wrapped around her. She didn't force herself awake: waiting until she couldn't go back to sleep to slip out of bed. Ruby first went into the bathroom, washing her face. She looked in the mirror. _Could Weiss love this?_ She thought, looking at her reflection. A soft knock could be heard. Ruby opened the bathroom door, but nobody was there. _Is someone at the door?_ She thought, rubbing her eyes and opening the door.

"Hello?" Ruby asked groggily. However, her eyes widened, the fog of sleep leaving her head, when she realized that 1. Weiss was visibly still asleep in their dorm and 2. that Yang, Ruby's surrogate mother, would be furious if she saw where Weiss was and deduced at least _some_ of what happened last night.

"Hey sis!" said Yang, looking into the dorm. When her eyes rested upon Ruby's bed, however...

"I...can explain!" said Ruby desperately.

"You'd better, young woman," said Yang, eyes smoldering. Ruby could see Blake behind her.

"Hi Blake!" called Ruby.

Blake looked at her feet. "Hi, Ruby." she said quietly. Ruby looked back at Yang, whose patience was visibly wearing thin. _Right,_ thought Ruby.

"Yang, nothing happened last night, we just watched a movie and...well I guess something did happen," Ruby said. An idea occurred to her, and, turning, she walked over to her bed. "Try and stop me, Yang," she quipped, sitting in the bed softly. Leaning over Weiss, she pulled her into a kiss. Weiss' eyelids fluttered, then remained closed. Weiss sat up, not making a sound, but putting one hand on Ruby's cheek, the other grabbing Ruby's rose-pattern coverlet and moved it as to throw it over the pair.

"Wait," gasped Ruby, detaching from Weiss. "We have...guests." She let out a giggle. Weiss looked past Ruby and saw Yang, looked somehow irritated and proud at the same time. Face turning red, Weiss dove under the covers of Ruby's bed, screaming shrilly,

"You absolute dolt! Why did you think that was acceptable?" Ruby merely laughed and looked over at Yang, who was muttering to herself. Blake stepped through the doorway.

"Congrats, Ruby, Congrats, Weiss." she said. The Weiss-figure under the covers sat up.

"Thank you," It said in a stately voice. Blake and Ruby looked at each other and laughed.

"So why are you two here, anyway?" asked Ruby.

"Well, me and Blake got to thinking, and we realized that winter break is soon, and you probably wn't be welcome at my house." said Yang, a tinge of anger creeping into her voice.

"Oh. Yeah." said Ruby, slate eyes turning downcast. Weiss threw off of her coverlet shroud, and embraced Ruby, muttering into her back,

"You won't have anything to worry about ever again," she said sleepily.

"Ugh, get a room," said Yang with a smile.

"But we already have a room –oh that's the joke." said Ruby.

"But seriously, Weiss, you are a part of this plan," explained Yang. "Ok, here it is: Ruby is going to go with Weiss to Atlas and stay with her, while I stay with Blake in her apartment in Vale. While I'm there, I'm going to try to convince my parents to...accept a more open viewpoint. Hopefully, by the time the school year is over, Ruby is welcome back in my parents' house. Weiss, are your parents ok with Ruby staying with you guys?" The three girls looked at Weiss, who was apparently deep in thought.

"I...don't know..." she muttered. "I came out to them over that long weekend, and...I'm not sure if my father would be okay with that. He's not the most...understanding of people." she explained.

"Well you could..." Yang trailed off, furrowing her brow. "Huh."

"I'm sorry, I need to go." blurted Weiss, rushing out the door with her scroll.

"Weiss, wait!" called Ruby, throwing on her coat and running after her.

"What the heck just happened?" asked Yang, incredulous. Blake merely shrugged.

"My advice: let them figure it out, Yang." she offered.

* * *

Ruby followed Weiss into the library. "Weiss, what is going on?" she asked desperately.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, this was a mistake, I shouldn't have let last night happen." she said. "I can't do this."

"Weiss, what do you mean? I can't..." Ruby was in shock. _What about what happened between us? Does that mean nothing? Why is she acting like this?_

As if reading her mind, Weiss spoke: "I haven't told anyone, but when I came out to my family, my father spoke to me, alone. He told me that as a Schnee Energy heiress, I will get a lot of publicity, and that being openly gay would attract some...negative press."

"That doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Ruby.

"I don't think he meant it literally. For me, it meant that he wouldn't accept me if I was gay. And even though it's been years, I still am owned by the desire to be his perfect daughter, to never make him angry again." Weiss looked at her feet, tears streaking her face. _I'm sorry, Ruby,_ she thought. Weiss straightened her back. "I think it would be best," she said, "that we stay away from each other."

Ruby's vision tunneled, and she felt something inside her break. Sobbing, she left the library.

Ruby stopped at Yang's door and knocked. Her sister opened the door. "Ruby, what's wrong?" she asked at the sight of her distraught sister.

"It's Weiss. She said...it was best for us...to...stay away from each other!" Ruby almost screamed the last word, collapsing into Yang's arms. Yang's face at first was soft, then hardened.

"Blake, take care of Ruby. I'm going to deal with Weiss." she said, voice cold and sharp as a blade. She left the room.

"Ruby, just sit down, I'll make you some tea. You ever had Ruby Red Chai? It's actually good, and...you know, you're named Ruby." Blake said.

* * *

Yang rushed back to the library where Weiss last was, to find her at a table with red-rimmed eyes, looking at something on her scroll. Yang grabbed her arm and jerked her out of her chair.

"You and me need to talk now." she spat. Weiss turned pale and merely nodded. Yang dragged her to Ruby and Weiss' dorm, where Weiss opened the door. Yang made her go in first, then followed her and closed the door. "You better start talking, fast," Yang said, lips pressed thin.

"Look, long story short, my father is the patriarch of the family. He has all the authority, and his word is law. And he says I can't be openly gay." Weiss said.

"Please, spare all the proper aristocrat speak," Yang said. "Where is the girl that Ruby loves? She does love you, you know."

"The girl Ruby loves doesn't exist! She doesn't know me. She doesn't know I always live in fear, always trying to do what's best for everyone. I'm still owned by my father, even if I hate him! Weiss screamed.

"I don't believe that. What happened to you over that long weekend? Where did the girl who kissed Ruby go? In fact, I've half a mind to rip open your chest, and see what's replaced your _fucking_ heart!" Yang yelled back. "You're a coward! Ruby needs you, and you're too selfish to see that!" The two girls stood there in the middle of the room, staring each other down.

"You're right," Weiss muttered. "You are completely right. I am a coward." She hung her head. "I don't deserve Ruby. She deserves someone better than me."

"I don't care what she deserves, Weiss, because _you_ are what she wants. Give her a chance." Yang said, her voice beginning to soften. She turned to leave the room. "Besides, you look like you could use a win." Yang flashed a quick smile and closed the door, leaving Weiss alone.

Yang opened the door to her dorm. Ruby was lying in her bed, hugging her knees. A mug sat next to her. Blake was sitting on her bed, looking satisfied.

"Everything alright?" asked Yang. "How're ya holding up, Rubes?"

"I'm ok," replied Ruby. "Did you find Weiss?"

"Yeah, I talked to her, and I think she's ready to apologize. You can go back to your dorm now if you want." Yang replied. Ruby's face lightened, and she gave a slight smile. She hopped out of bed.

"Thanks, sis. I'm going to my room." she said.

"Go get em, sis." replied Yang, giving her a wink as she left the room. "Thanks, Blake," she said quietly. Blake merely nodded. "So, uh...can I read some of...some of what you wrote?" Yang asked. Blake sighed deeply.

"I hope I don't regret this." she said, turning on her computer and handing it to Yang. "Want some tea?"

"No, I'm ok," Yang responded. Blake walked over to her cabinet where she kept her tea bags, filled a mug with hot water, boiled it in the microwave, and started steeping her tea. She walked over to Yang, who looked confused.

"Is something wrong?" Blake asked. _Why did I think this was a good idea?_

"Just thinking," Yang mused.

"Thinking what?"

"I'm thinking...that you feel the same way as my sister" said Yang, and looked Blake in her golden eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"This fiction, it has lesbians." Blake froze. _Must have given her the wrong one_. _How can I lie my way out of this? Maybe if–_ Blake's thoughts were cut off as Yang, quick as lightning, slipped out of bed and kissed Blake. Blake kissed her back. _Please, let it be true,_ thought Blake. Yang broke off the kiss.

"Ever since Ruby came out, it really got me thinking. I really wasn't sure if I liked girls or guys, but when I read this lesbian smut you wrote– "

"It is not smut!"

"I knew where your...preferences lie. Well that, and the fact that you have an amazing ass."

"Yang Xiao Long, you are a brute."

"So what do you think? Do we give this a try?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I am really not good at this whole sort of thing. Man, that was awkward. I wonder what Ruby and Weiss will think?"

 **A/N: Well, there it is, the first Bumblebee moment of this story. Hope you all enjoyed, I really appreciate the feedback you give. It helps me refine the writing process and learn what the audience likes. Also, 80 follows?! :0 That is amazing. Thanks, and see ya next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: Saying Goodbye

**Quick Note: Before you read, make a separate tab with the White trailer for RWBY, it will become apparent when you need to play the video.**

Ruby sat on a couch, arm around Weiss, in Yang and Blake's dorm.

"I wish we had a couch," said Ruby.

"But Ruby, if we had a couch, that would mean we would have to ditch the fridge, microwave, oven, and, of course, my king-size bed." said Weiss in mock abashment.

"You are such a princess," said Ruby "I don't know why I put up with you."

"Well, maybe it's because my bed can fit two people–" Weiss cut herself off as she saw Yang give her a look–"Or...maybe it's because I can do this," Weiss said with a sly smile, pulling Ruby into a deep kiss. Yang, seeing them, turned to Blake, who sighed.

"You know, Yang, every time they do that doesn't mean we have to. _We_ are mature young ladies." Blake said. Weiss broke away from Ruby.

"See, works every time!" Weiss said, laughing. Ruby's eyes were doing a thousand-mile stare in a 20 foot room.

"So dreamy," whispered Ruby, shaking her head vigorously. Weiss smiled.

"So, everyone, I have an announcement." she said. "First of all, Ruby and I are officially together, and, our first date will be to the opera. However, Ruby will have to sit without, because by the power invested in me as a Schnee family member, I will be singing on stage for the last time." Ruby gasped.

"Really? That's amazing? I mean, I know you sang before, and you do fencing and all that, but, oh this is going to be wonderful!" Ruby exclaimed. "Yang, Blake, will you come?"

"Uh, actually, Blake isn't really letting me go anywhere, so it's up to her," explained Yang. Blake smiled shyly.

"Well, you _are_ my girlfriend, Yang." she said.

"Honestly, Blake, you just want every excuse to say that, don't you?"

"Yes." Blake said proudly. "As for the opera, we would be delighted to go. When is it?"

"Oh, yes. I would never have done this, but since my sister thinks surprising people makes me seem 'cool', I held off on telling you. It's tonight."

"Tonight?! How will we have our outfits picked out?"

"Oh please, you don't need to dress up. Your tickets are provided for, and I got a private box for all of us," Weiss explained. "It will be wonderful. Now, if you will excuse me, I must dress my girlfriend, who is burdened by the curse of no taste in clothes."

"Hey!" exclaimed Ruby.

"I'll see you tonight, until then, goodbye, everyone!" called Weiss, dragging Ruby out the door.

Blake turned to Yang. "Finally, they're gone. They almost messed up our anime-watching schedule."

Yang put her hand over her mouth in mock horror.

"Oh please, never that! Do anything, please, just don't interrupt my anime-watching time!" Yang chuckled and jumped into bed, scooting over for Blake, who instead just dove on top of Yang silently. Biting her lip, Blake whispered in her ear,

"Actually, before we act all civilized for the opera, I was thinking we could do something a little more, _fun._ "

"Whatever the lady wants," panted Yang. She threw the covers over the pair and stopped Blake from speaking with a kiss.

"so, Ruby, do you have an outfit?" Weiss asked as soon as they got into their room. "I really do not want to dress you."

"Well, me and Yang went shopping recently, and this dress I got is pretty cute–'' Ruby was cut off as Weiss pushed her over into her bed.

"As we won't get the chance to for the rest of the day, I thought we could...unwind..." Weiss said huskily. Ruby's eyes widened and she smiled.

"You naughty, naughty princess," she scolded, before a white-clad figure tackled her gently with a kiss.

"I know it's been a few days, but I still cannot get over how good that feels," said Weiss, coming out of the kiss for air.

"Then kiss me again," whispered Ruby. Weiss obliged, and Ruby entered heaven for the umpteenth time.

"Do they have popcorn?"

"Of course not, it's an opera, not a movie theater, dolt!"

"Blake, please, the armrest obviously doesn't come off–''

"I don't care, we are cuddling!"

The four girls squabbled for about ten minutes until they finally got settling, Blake looking satisfied, squeezing into one seat with Yang. Weiss looked down the row.

"Alright, don't get yourselves into trouble without me around, ok? See you after I'm done." Weiss zipped away, leaving Ruby looking sullen and Yang and Blake completely undisturbed.

"Get us a blanket," whispered Yang, to the horror of Ruby and Blake. "Guys, calm down, I'm kidding...unless of course, Blake you want–''

"That's quite enough, Yang," said Blake, shaking her head. "I am dating an animal." The lights darkened, curtains parting to reveal a figure.

"Is that Weiss?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"No, it looks like some other guy." remarked Blake.

"Good eyes, Blake. Seriously, your vision in the dark is so good I could swear you're a Faunus!" Ruby replied. After ignoring the first acts, Ruby finally perked up when a voice boomed from nowhere and everywhere,

"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, we have a very special guest from the Schnee Energy company gracing our presence! Please, put your hands together for Weiss Schnee!" The clap of hands couldn't have been louder than for the previous performances, but to Ruby, it seemed deafening. The curtains parted, revealing an empty stage with the Schnee family crest lit in white in the center. A shimmering figure stepped into the light. _Weiss!_ Ruby's heart pounded at the sight of her girlfriend. If she was nervous, she didn't show it. She was beautiful, clad in a flowing white dress that caught the light and shimmered like a star. Her earrings were blue diamond, shimmering and spinning like comets. Weiss took a breath and began in a lilting voice,

 _Mirror, tell me something._

 _Tell me who's the loneliest, of all?_

 _Mirror, tell me something, tell me who's the loneliest of all?_

 _Fear of whats inside of me; tell me can a heart be turned to stone?_

 _Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see._

 _I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?_

 _Mirror mirror, tell me something- who's the loneliest of all?_

 _I'm the loneliest of all._

For a song with few lines, it seemed to take a long time. Weiss took Ruby's attention and didn't just hold it, she grabbed it, demanded it, with her voice. _True beauty,_ Ruby thought, _cannot be described, merely experienced. She's perfect._ As Weiss finished the song and stepped back into the shadows, Ruby's eyes felt misty as and the applause started, Ruby could not help but tell it was truly louder and more deafening than any for any other performance.

As Yang, Blake, and Ruby exited onto the street, Ruby told them,

"Go on ahead, I'll come back with Weiss." The pair nodded and walked away, heads bowed into their jackets from the early winter air, arms around each other. Ruby dashed to the back of the theater, where she met Weiss.

"Hey." she said.

"Hi." replied Weiss. Ruby looked into her eyes. _Perfection_ , she thought.

"Good job out there. More than good, amazing, breathtaking! Weiss, I have never heard you sing, and that was the most beautiful thing I have heard!" Ruby exclaimed.

"It is a step up from rock music, for sure," said Weiss, giving a slight chuckle.

"Weiss, why will you never do this again? It was amazing!"

"Ruby, I was saying goodbye. I was saying goodbye to a life of trying to please my family, of performing. That girl is gone. Who I am with you, Ruby, is who I want to be, more than anything in the world, so much it hurts. Every moment with you is one of breathless delight, a moment of sunshine on a cloudy day. Please, Ruby, you must never leave me," Weiss whispered, holding Ruby close. "I can't bear life without you. People say love cannot be spontaneous, or quick, that it is something that happens gradually. To hell with them! Ruby, you are life to me. Words cannot express–'' Weiss was silenced by Ruby's finger on her lips.

"Then make no sound, my love," breathed Ruby, pulling Weiss into a deep kiss. _Weiss is right. I don't care what anyone says, I love her, more than life itself._ The kiss would have gone on many seconds longer, an eternity of bliss, were it not for the flash of a camera and a scattering of rose petals.

"Gotcha!" yelled Yang, holding a camera in her hand, Blake beside her, guiltily holding a basket of rose petals. "That was the shot! Perfect!"

"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, blushing. "Seriously, sometimes you can ruin anything!" She stood glaring at her sister. "But um...since you took it, can I see the picture?" The four girls laughed, standing behind a theater in Vale, two hopelessly in love, two curious for love, as snow began to dust the nighttime streets.

 **A/N: Fluffy episode is fluffy, hope you brush your teeth. I really loved writing this episode and** **fic, I think we could be about halfway done or thereabouts. Please, if you think I should do otherwise, leave a review! That will help me pace the rest of the story better. See ya next time, everyone!**


	11. Chapter 11: Best Laid Plans

Weiss laid beside Ruby, eye shut tight.

"Ruby, shut up and sleep!" she whined.

"But Weiss, it's hard to sleep when you cling on me like a koala–''

"It's hard to sleep when you keep talking!" Ruby turned in the bed to face Weiss.

"You wanna do something fun?" she asked, smiling. Weiss screwed up her face in confusion.

"I thought you said you were tired-"

"I have an idea." Ruby sat up in bed. "So, you know how Yang's parents aren't exactly ok with me being gay? Well, I've been working on a revenge plot, and it begins tonight."

"Ruby, it's almost 11!"

"Nah, it's fine. Come on!" Ruby dragged Weiss out of bed, down the hall, and called a cab.

"Ruby, where are we going?" Weiss asked, incredulous.

"Into the city, of course. It's where they live." Ruby said matter-of-factly.

"Ruby, it's a two hour drive!"

"You've got enough money to pay for the cab. Speaking of which, it's here." Weiss merely sighed, knowing she couldn't convince her girlfriend otherwise, simply climbing in the cab with her. During the drive, she leaned her head against Ruby, who dozed along with her. When they arrived in the city, the cab driver awkwardly woke them up, letting them know their journey was over.

"Hey, uh...you can, uh...wake up now," he said. Weiss pretended like she wasn't sleeping, responded with a prim "Thank you" and the money. She turned to Ruby after the cab drove away.

* * *

"Okay, what's the plan?"

"Wow, no reprimands or other questions? You really have changed."

"I am trying to be more personable," Weiss growled. "Besides, this has nothing to do with my social skills. This is merely revenge on those who made my beloved suffer."

"How do you manage to sound so threatening, while also sounding like you were born a few centuries too late? Anyway, the house is closer than a block. I just need your cooperation."

Ruby and Weiss walked the few hundred feet to stop in front of Ruby's house. They sat down on a bench on the opposite side of the street. Ruby handed what looked like a walkie-talkie to Weiss.

"Point it at the garage," she instructed, plugging a cable from her laptop into the contraption. Typing furiously, Ruby stared at her computer, a disconcerting smile growing on her face. After a minute, the garage started to silently slide open. It revealed a four-door sedan and a two-door convertible. After more furious typing from Ruby, the lights on the convertible flashed.

"Did you...is that...did you do that?" asked Weiss.

"C'mon!" said Ruby with a smile, tugging Weiss over to the open garage and now-unlocked car. "Weiss, you're going to need to drive," she explained, hopping in the passenger seat. Another cable plugged into some secret port of the car, and the car started. "Listen to that baby purr," crooned Ruby. She smiled over at Weiss, who was astonished by Ruby's capability. "Punch it." Weiss needed no more, and floored her foot on the pedal. As the pair sped out of the city proper, Weiss asked,

"So where are we going with this car?"

"Someplace special, I'll let you know. Just keep driving straight." Ruby leaned back in the seat exhilarated. "I've wanted to do that for so long," she breathed in wonder.

* * *

Taiyang woke to the sound of his garage opening. He sat up in bed.

"Something wrong, honey?" asked Raven, lying beside him.

"I think the garage just opened." He replied softly.

"Maybe you're just imagining," muttered Raven, turning over and going back to sleep.

"I'm going to check." Taiyang slowly exited the room, but turned to a sprint as he heard the revving of an engine. He opened the garage door to find his convertible gone. Raven appeared beside him.

"How did the alarm not get triggered?"

"I don't know." Raven walked over to their other car, the sedan, to a single white rose lying on the hood, with petals scattered around it. Grabbing it in her hand, she screamed and threw it against the wall in a fit of helpless frustration. "That little bitch!" she screamed.

* * *

"Here. Stop here." said Ruby, pointing at an inconspicuous dirt road alongside the highway. Weiss pulled onto it, and they followed it until in ended in a field of nothing but stars. Ruby took out her backpack, revealed one beach towel and another blanket for warmth. She spread them both out on the grass. "Your palace awaits," she said, smirking at Weiss trying to get as little dirty as possible. The two snuggled under the blanket until they were both comfortable.

"It's beautiful," remarked Ruby.

"What is?"

"The sky."

"Hmm, yes, I suppose there is an ethereal beauty to the stars."

"I like how that the stars we see are so far away, if we traveled to them now, they might even not exist, but their light is still reaching us. I would like to go and see the light of my father's love for me, for my mother, and see how much was real and how much was a ghost, a remnant of what was."

"Oddly poetic for you, Ruby Rose." Ruby ignored her girlfriend's jibe.

"Just look at all of them. You can't see the stars in Vale City. But when you get out here, it's like throwing a blanket off of your head. It's so peaceful."

"Indeed. I like this; no opera, no crazy party, just me and you, lying out here." Weiss said.

"Still, there are no words to describe this beauty. Doesn't their light seem wise, friendly, twinkling at you?"

"Ruby, you have an amazing way with words when you are not full of caffeine."

"I just...I look up there, and I see those stars like jewels, the moon like a silent parent watching over them all. And the entire sky, like a box of those jewels, a case containing the infinite wealth of the heavens."

"Well put."

"And then, Weiss, I look at you, and all those thoughts vanish. They are replaced by only one thought, and that is that you are the most kind, caring, beautiful, loving individual I have ever met. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Ruby breathed those last words, then kissed Weiss so hard she felt her lips would split.

* * *

After they got back in the car, Weiss said,

"That was amazing Ruby, truly. But now, what do we do with the car?"

"Well, it's almost 5, and my would be leaving for work at about 6:30, so my advice is gun it!" squealed Ruby, as Weiss once again floored the accelerator and steered them back onto the highway. _This is how forever feels,_ thought Ruby, raising her arms and letting them be cleansed by the country air. After a very uneventful but very fast trip back to the city, Weiss and Ruby slowly pulled into the garage. Getting out of the car slowly and silently, the pair looked at each other and made the universal "quiet" symbol, tiptoeing out. Their plans were foiled, however, when they heard a doorknob rattle. Squealing and running away, Ruby almost forgot to throw a white rose in the back seat of the convertible.

After getting breakfast at a café, Ruby and Weiss called a cab back to Beacon.

"So," said Weiss, leaning her head on Ruby's shoulder sleepily. "That was a thing."

"It was. It was a very fun thing."

 **A/N: Aw yeah, revenge is so sweet! I had a lot of fun writing this, hope you enjoy! Also, I am starting to work on some other fictions, I can't quite say what yet, but stay tuned for more info. See ya next time!**


	12. Chapter 12: Taking Care

Ruby was sick. There was no getting around it. She tried to hide it from Weiss for the whole day after their revenge on Yang's parents, but her lack of sleep caused her immune system to shut down, and now, Ruby was lying in bed with the sniffles and a sore throat.

"Weiss, really...I'm not very sick," Ruby pleaded. Weiss would have none of it.

"Ruby, you are my girlfriend. I am going to take care of you whether you like it or not. Now: which soup do you want? Lentil or chicken?"

"Chicken, please," asked Ruby in a small voice.

"Coming right up!" said Weiss with a smile. She filled a small pot with water, put it on the stove, and poured in a mix of dehydrated vegetables and meat. _I can't believe I'm giving this to my girlfriend...I've never had chicken soup from a bag!_ Weiss thought. She waited on Ruby until the soup was ready, doing her homework, opening and shutting windows, and refusing all thank-you kisses from Ruby "I am _not_ going to kiss you until you're feeling better!". As Weiss checked on the soup, which was almost ready, a knock sounded at the door. Weiss got up and opened the door for Yang and Blake, who came in.

"Rubes, what's wrong?" Yang asked.

"Weiss and I went out last night...more like last morning...I didn't get enough sleep, and I guess it got me sick." Ruby said sullenly. Yang rounded on Weiss.

"What did you do last night?" she asked.

"Well um, I think...Ruby should explain," said Weiss, cheeks turning pink. Yang turned back to Ruby.

"What did you do, young lady?"

"Well, um, ever since Raven kicked me out, I've been working on a special revenge plan. I know you had your plan that you and Blake worked out, but I thought I could leave her a...gift of sorts." Yang was incredulous, mouth agape. Blake saw that and tried to change the subject, knowing how hot-heading Yang could get at times.

"You know, I could probably make some tea..." interjected Blake, but was cut off by Yang.

"Ruby! Come on, we were going to solve this with maturity! What did you do, egg the house?"

"Well, uh, we kinda, stole their car..." muttered Ruby. Yang's eyes grew comically large, her jaw dropping. "And! And! Yang, we put it back, we just went stargazing for a little in Dad's convertible, that's all! Oh, and, I left a rose for Raven." Ruby snickered at the last part. Yang took a deep breath.

"Well, if you didn't break anything..." she said, conceding to her sister's pleas, "I guess it's ok. But no more?"

"Ok!" said Ruby in her cutest voice. Weiss caught her eye. _Is there more?_ Her eyes seemed to ask. Ruby gave a slight shake of her head, imperceptible to anyone not looking for it.

"So, Weiss, watcha making?" asked Yang, darting over to the pot of chicken soup.

"Oh, just some soup for Ruby," she said with a smile.

"Oh man, it's been so long since I've had homemade chicken soup!" Yang then launched into a story with Weiss awkwardly standing there with her ladle clutched between her hands. Ruby smiled at her sisters antics, and Blake tried heroically to get Yang to stop talking. After about five minutes, Weiss interrupted Yang.

"Soup's ready," she said brusquely, lightly pushing past Yang to fill a bowl with soup. "Here you go, beloved," she said, putting it on Ruby's nightstand.

"Beloved? Weiss, this is the twenty-first century," teased Yang.

"I think it's cute when she calls me that," said Ruby, defending her girlfriend. She picked up the bowl and blew across its surface.

"Ruby, be careful," advised Weiss. "That soup is...really...hot..." she trailed off as Ruby took a gulp, ballooned her cheeks, and sucked it air. After thrashing with agony for another five seconds, Ruby swallowed and breathed a deep breath.

"Good advice, Weiss," she said, smiling slightly. "Heh. That rhymes."

"Are you ok?" asked Weiss rushing over to her side.

"Don't baby her, she just burned her tongue," scoffed Yang. Weiss turned and gave Yang a full dose of you-do-not-mess-with-a-Schnee from her diamond-blue eyes. Ruby cleared her throat.

"I kinda burned the roof of my mouth...it feels kinda swollen. My tongue hurts, too." the girl said. Weiss straightened.

"Well, you just need some ice cream or ice water," she said matter-of-factly. Ruby brightened.

"Ice cream!" she squealed like a little kid, hugging Weiss. "You're the best ever!" Weiss hugged her back.

"Be right back, my love," she said, leading Blake and Yang out, then following them. _Where in the world are we going to get ice cream in November?_ She pulled out her scroll. "Do you guys know any ice cream places, maybe frozen yogurt around here?" Weiss asked Blake and Yang. They shook their heads. "Ah, it is as I feared," said Weiss ominously. "I must call... _her._ "

Weiss stopped walking and looked up from her scroll.

"Here," she announced, knocking primly on the door and stepping back. A girl with black pink-streaked hair opened the door without a word. She held it open, motioning for the trio to step inside. After they were in, she closed the door and looked at Weiss, head cocked questioningly.

"We're looking for ice cream," said Weiss. "I heard you have a lot of...precious commodities that others may purchase, and was wondering if you had any strawberry ice cream." Weiss looked around the room. Crates of something green were in packages, with pink stickers that simply read "Neo" on them. There were gaming consoles, drugs, candy, keys, anything one might want. Weiss cleared her throat. Neo came back with a gallon of ice cream. She held it up so Weiss could see and nodded.

"I see," said Weiss. "Very good. How much, 20 Lien?" Neo shook her head. "Thirty. Forty. Forty-five? That's highway robbery! Very well, I see your point," growled Weiss, handing her the money and walking out.

Ruby perked up like a puppy when Weiss entered, holding her promised strawberry ice cream.

"You would not believe the trouble I went to to get this," said Weiss with a shudder. Ruby gave her a hug.

"Thanks, Weiss, you're the best." she said.

"Alright, well, it was nice seeing you two, but _we_ are going to do something a little more fun," said Yang, as she was dragged out the door by a silent and determined Blake. "See you guys later!"

Weiss turned to Ruby. "Now hurry up, and get better, so I can kiss you," she said. "I actually like this," she explained. "I feel like we focus too much on the, shall we say, romantic part of our relationship. Not that I don't like it, of course. It's just nice to take care of you," said Weiss. "I...I love you." She looked at the beautiful, perfect girl lying beside her.

"Love you too," whispered Ruby.

 **A/N: I know right, the inevitable sick/injured episode. Pretty fluffy chapter, but writing that Neo part was fun. The winter ball is coming up, looking forward to writing that. Review/fav/follow, feedback is appreciated. PM me if you have any questions! I have, like, no life :P**


	13. Chapter 13: At Last

Ruby and Weiss sat at a café, Ruby in her usual attire, Weiss in a fashionable winter dress. An umbrella shielded them from the light snowfall.

"So," said Ruby, sipping her cocoa gingerly. "I know what I'm wearing to the ball, but what about you?"

"I was thinking something similar to what I wore that night at the opera." Weiss replied. "You seemed quite...fond of it." Her scroll buzzed. Weiss took it out of her purse, opening the screen and frowning at the message displayed. Ruby patiently waited for Weiss to put it away. The message read:

 _I have been informed there is a winter ball at Beacon. Contacting family friends to arrange your date. Love, Wolke._

Weiss frowned. _Unbelievable_.She put her scroll back in her purse, turning back to her girlfriend.

"Something wrong, babe?" Ruby asked, innocent gray eyes looking at her, scouring her soul, leaving nothing under shadow.

"An...issue with my father. I can resolve it on my own." Weiss replied. They chatted until they were done with their lunch, then paid and left. As they entered the dorm, Weiss stayed outside.

"I'll be back in an hour, Ruby. No later. See you soon!" She quickly kissed Ruby and departed.

* * *

Ruby waited until she was sure Weiss was gone, then exploded into motion. She moved their table into the center of the room, pulling their mismatched chairs up beside it. Grabbing her scroll, Ruby called Yang.

"Hey sis. No, I'm fine. I would like your help on this one thing, though..."

* * *

Weiss opened her scroll. _Let's see who this poor sod is,_ she thought, opening her father's plethora of messages. _Scarlet Jovian. I hope he takes this well._ She walked all the way to the unobtrusive restaurant where her father said she could meet him. Approaching the establishment, she noticed a rather outlandish figure sporting crimson hair and a tailored salmon-colored suit. She waved hello, and sat down opposite him.

"Hello, Mr. Jovian," Weiss said cordially.

"Hello, Miss Schnee. I see our parents have arranged that we go to the dance together. I would be honored if you accepted me." he said, trying to bow while he was sitting down. Weiss looked down and smiled.

"About that. Mr. Jovian, there have been an unfortunate series of events, and due to these aforementioned events, I will not be attending the dance with you. I have someone else." Weiss said cooly. _Now don't let your ego get the best of you, you idiot. Just say okay and leave._ Scarlet was shocked.

"We barely met! C'mon, you don't even know me, and you're turning me down!" He collected himself, smoothing imaginary creases on his suit. _Useless preening. I may enjoy this after all._ "Sorry, I'm trying not to make a scene, it's just...I don't know many people here, and I thought you wouldn't either, and this would be a good chance to meet someone new. Let's kiss and make up, okay?" He ended the sentence with a lewd smile. All of the pity and patience Weiss had evaporated like a puddle in the hot sun.

"Mister Jovian. I do not wish to get to know you, not under these circumstances. I am going to the ball with a date already...with my girlfriend, Ruby." _There. It's easy to admit you're gay to people who don't know you. Interesting how that is._ Scarlet, on the other hand, looked shocked. He shrugged and nodded his head.

"Okay," he conceded. "How is that, anyway? Being a lesbian, and all?" _Oh God, not another guy with a fetish. They're just jealous a girl wouldn't fall for their "moves" or "charm". Savages, almost all of them._ Weiss cleared her throat.

"Let's not get into that. I just thought I would let you know. Good day." She got up and left, but could faintly hear Scarlet muttering,

"Lesbian, huh? That's probably pretty hot." Someone poured lava into Weiss' veins. She wheeled around and slapped the inconsiderate boy across the face, hard.

"Unbelievable." she whispered, strutting away on her heels. _Now, to let Father know. The news would be better coming from me rather than that...that...boy! So immature!_ Weiss pulled out her scroll, tapping quickly, then deposited it back into her purse. Her message to her father read:

 _I already have a date. I explained to Scarlet. I'm going with a girl I know, Ruby Rose._

* * *

Weiss steeled herself for the inevitable. _He won't be happy, but it doesn't matter. We can talk later._ Returning to her dorm, she moved to take off her white winter coat, but paused when she saw Ruby in a beautiful crimson dress, holding a red rose in her hands, another white rose behind her ear.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Ruby, what is this for?" Weiss asked, amazed her usually scatterbrained girlfriend had put this together.

"Well, I know we're going to the ball together, but I thought I'd ask you formally." she said, smiling a dazzling smile. "Come, sit down, I made you a steak. I hope you like medium rare, that's what all the tutorials said was the best."

Weiss put down her knife and fork, daintily dabbing at the corners of her mouth.

"Ruby, that was wonderful."

"Oh, it isn't over yet, princess." whispered Ruby, proffering her hand for Weiss to rise out of her seat. Holding Weiss' hand, Ruby led her to the middle of the room, and as if by magic, slow music started to play.

"Dignified," whispered Ruby, and she put one hand on Weiss' hip, the other still holding her hand. Weiss put her remaining hand on Ruby's shoulder, and they swayed to the music, until Weiss blurted,

"Middle school slow dance." Ruby looked at her, confused, then it dawned on her. Ruby's other hand slipped down to cradle Weiss' waist, while Weiss rested her hands around Ruby's neck. It was hard to tell how long they danced there, leaning on each other for support, but after that blissfully long time, Ruby whispered in Weiss' ear,

"I'm ready." Weiss looked in those slate eyes, and she knew exactly what Ruby meant.

As Ruby flopped on her back, panting, all she could say was,

"People say your first time is the worst: I think I could deal with that."

 **A/N: Oh shieeeet, they did it! Lol, sorry for being late on getting the chapter up. I've been dealing with some writer's block/extra depression lately, and I haven't been all that motivated. Don't worry, it'll get better. I'm really excited on this project I'm working on on the side, let's just say it has a little more…action than this fic. Also, if you are an artist, feel free to PM me if you feel up to drawing a custom picture for this fiction! I can't draw for my life. Follow/fav/review! Thanks for reading, see ya next time!**


	14. Chapter 14: Forever

Yang crossed her arms, tapping her feet, the image of irritated. She stood in front of Ruby and Weiss, who held hands on Yang and Blake's couch. Blake was making a pot of tea. Yang cocked her head and tapped her lips with a finger.

"Hmm," she mused, looking her sister in the eyes. Ruby held her gaze for a few seconds, then blushed and looked away. Yang looked as if she had made a discovery, opening her mouth in surprise, eyes growing wide.

"Ew, you guys had sex, didn't you?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course not!"

"Yang, c'mon, I would never!"

"The very idea!"

"Preposterous!"

"Why would you ask?"

"It's indecent!"

Yang pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, you guys did. Don't lie to me," she growled, staring down her younger sister.

"Well...I...uh, the dinner totally worked," Ruby said awkwardly. Blake interrupted.

"Tea's ready. Come and make your own." Ruby grabbed a packet of Ruby-Red Chai, and steeped her own. Weiss took a packet of green tea, as well as Blake. Yang didn't have any.

"So, aside from showing off, why did you guys come here?" Yang asked, as all four girls sat on the couch.

"Well," explained Weiss, "As the semester winds to a close, the winter ball approaches, and I would like to make an itinerary for the night. I found a nice sushi place we can go-"

"Speaking of sushi, Blake has something to tell you guys." Yang said, elbowing Blake. The raven-haired girl stared at her, golden eyes wide. Yang merely nodded. Blake took a deep breath, composing herself.

"I...I'm a..." she trailed off, merely untying the bow on top of her head, except it was not a bow, but Faunus cat ears. Weiss and Ruby were silent.

"I think they're cute!" exclaimed Ruby. Blake smiled slightly.

"I think that it's wonderful that you can share this with us, Blake. You don't have to hide who you are." Weiss stated, crossing her arms. Blake looked surprised.

"I thought you would be a little less...accepting, considering how your family gets targeted by Faunus supremacist groups." Blake said quietly.

"Blake, this has been a rather turbulent time for me, and I have changed a lot recently. In changing, I've learned some things. One of those is: you should not worry about what people are: only who they are. Everyone has flaws, but we choose to love in spite of those. Because you can't change who someone is, or who they are. All you an control is how you treat them." Weiss finished, satisfied with her little speech. Blake's eyes softened, and she smiled.

"Thanks, Weiss," she said, moving in to hug her. Yang grabbed Ruby, pulling all four girls into a pile.

"Group hug!" she shouted. Weiss groaned.

"I'm going to die," she whispered, air getting crushed out of her.

* * *

"We have a friend, whose name shall not be mentioned, that hid her Faunus identity from us because of the stigma that comes with that. She wanted to be seen for what she was: a kind, smart girl, instead of a Faunus. In conclusion, we believe that while there were many events that were the catalyst for the Faunus War, the overarching issue is this: that in this world, we saw people for what they were, not who they were. We think labels make people easier to identify, or to dismiss, to kill, even. In reality, stereotypes and discrimination only lead to things like the Faunus War, and it is up to each of us to prevent such a thing from ever happening again. Thank you." With that, Weiss concluded her and Ruby's Faunus War project. Returning to their seats among a smattering of halfhearted applause, Ruby smiled at Weiss, and she smiled back. Their last class before the weekend, before the ball. Ruby could hardly wait. As they left the class, Ruby skipped alongside Weiss.

"What's our schedule for tomorrow night?" she asked, inquiring about the night of the ball.

"So, first we'll meet up with Blake and Yang, then we can go together to Salt, the sushi place, and we'll get sushi there. Then, our limo comes to pick us up we show up at the ball, and own that place." ended Weiss.

"That's so cool! Is it, like, a real limo?"

"Why, of course."

"I've never been in one before! That's awesome!" Weiss smiled at her girlfriend. _She really missed out on a lot. We'll have to fix that._ The rest of the day, the pair lounged in their dorm, talking and watching various movies. Weiss was interrogated by Ruby on what a limo was like,

"Does the driver talk? Are there free drinks? Do they obey traffic laws?"

"Of course!"

"Which one was that an answer to?"

"All of them, love."

"Awesome! Wait, not the last one. That isn't cool."

"Weiss, Weiss, wake up! Today's the day!" Ruby shook her girlfriend awake.

"I know that, you dolt!"

"Sorry, I'm just so excited, because I'v never been to something like this before, well except at, like, middle school, and it doesn't really count, and...yeah. I'm excited." Weiss couldn't help but smile at the girl's antics.

"Ruby, we have _all day._ Let's just spend it having fun. I heard there's a new Thorassic Park movie coming out!" Weiss suggested.

* * *

They found tickets and exited the theater at 3:30, vastly more interested in dinosaurs than before. Weiss dragged Ruby back to the dorm, ignoring the tidbits of knowledge provided by whatever was on Ruby's scroll that she was reading aloud.

"The Spinosaurus weighed over 10 tons, and both scavenged and hunted. When hunting, it would disguise itself in a crocodile-like fashion, all but invisible in water..." Opening the door to the dorm, Weiss held the door open for her girlfriend, waiting until she was done talking, then said,

"Ruby, we need to get ready."

"We have plenty of time!"

"Then we will have time left over once we're ready."

"Ugh, fine, but you owe me." Weiss helped Ruby into her rose-red dress, zipping her back for her. Smiling at her girlfriend, Weiss said,

"You look beautiful."

"I feel...like...I'm wrapped in...Sean Wrap," groaned Ruby. An evil smile grew on her face.

"Your turn," she said. Weiss brought out her dress from the closet, and Ruby gasped. It was ice-white, shimmering with inlaid diamonds along the sleeves. Weiss also adorned herself with a string of milky white pearls around her throat. After Ruby was done helping, she stepped back and commented,

"Weiss...you're a _vision_. You're...this..." She stopped trying to formulate words, merely kissing Weiss passionately. "Let's go find Blake and Yang."

Knocking on the door to the other pair's dorm, they were surprised when Blake opened the door a crack, then shut it again.

"One sec, Yang is going crazy." After a brief exchange of yelling and screams, Blake opened the door. "Sorry, she really didn't want me to brush her hair." Blake, on the other hand, looked completely different. Eye shadow accentuated her golden eyes, and the normally black bow that disguised her Faunus ears was now purple. She wore a dress made of midnight, shimmering like jade. Yang wore a plain white dress.

"Alright, where is this sushi place?" asked Yang, as they walked along the streets of collegetown.

"Just follow me," quipped Weiss, eventually stopping in front of a small restaurant that smelled of steam and sandalwood.

"Mmm," said Ruby, smelling the air. They sat down: Weiss, Ruby and Yang ordering an assortment of sushi, while Blake ordering solely tuna rolls and sashimi. Yang proceeded to dump the entire ball of wasabi into her portion of soy sauce, eliciting complaints from Ruby and astonished silence from the other two.

* * *

After dinner ended, an onyx limo pulled up in front of the four girls. Ruby squealed like a kid, rushing over to the doors and flinging them open. As the limo slowly trundled through the streets back to the ball, Ruby stood up through the sunroof, marveling at the new experience. As the limo finally stopped, Weiss had to help Ruby carry all the free soda out, to the amusement of Blake and Yang.

"We're gonna go ahead," explained Yang, barely containing her mirth.

"Okay, we'll be right along." replied Weiss, merely shaking her head at her girlfriend.

As they walked under a white archway, Ruby smiled over at Weiss, who took her hand, squeezing it for comfort. _This is it,_ thought Weiss. _A dream come true._ Taking her hand as soft music began to play, Weiss leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"This is really fun." she whispered.

"I think so, too." Ruby replied in a quiet voice.

"Ruby, I want you to know, no matter what, I'll always love our time together. I'll always love you. My time with you is the best I've ever felt in my life. I'm blessed to have you, my love."

"That's so sweet," whispered Ruby, a tear of happiness rolling down her cheek. "I feel the same way. You know, I've felt a lot of things around you Weiss: things I've never felt before. Love, loyalty, true joy. With you, I don't feel alone. But, there's still one thing I haven't done."

"What is it?" asked Weiss.

"I want to know how forever feels," whispered Ruby. And looking up, under a cloud of stars, with the most beautiful girl in the world in front of her, Ruby was thinking she was, until Weiss leaned in and kissed her. _This is how forever feels._

 **A/N: I dunno, it felt weird ending the series like this, but honestly, I didn't want to get into the whole-post winter ball stuff. Jeez, I have so much to say. Um, thanks to everyone who followed, PMed me with suggestions, favorited, reviewed, and up voted on Reddit. Super-duper thanks to GhostPhoenix113 for all your support! I would be nothing without you. Now, as for what I'll be doing next: I've been working on an In-Universe fiction with a few new characters, but team RWBY will be in there! DekketheODST had been helping me, if you haven't heard of their fiction Children of the Hunt, read it. Go do it now! It deserves much more attention than it gets, certainly more than this story. Thank you to anyone I left out! This was an amazing experience for me: if you had told me a few weeks ago that I would be writing RWBY fan fiction, I would not believe you. But here I am. Thank you everyone for bringing me into this community and showing so much support for my FIRST EVER FIC! Now, the groveling is over. I wrote up a teaser for the new fiction I'm writing, hope you enjoy!**

The drums beat a throbbing tone, filling the matron's head and matching her heartbeat. Surrounded by robed figures, she danced in the forest, lit by a red, hellish glow. Spitting dark, foul words, she bobbed and weaved over two objects on a table. Laying her hands on both, she unwrapped one, then the other, revealing them to be children. Eyes cast up to the heavens, she clutched the support, screaming her dark words. Reaching into her robe, she brought out a blood-red dagger, encrusted by rubies and jet. Her cries reached a crescendo, and she plunged the dagger down, and there was silence.

* * *

The Breach. That was what they were calling it. The first time in centuries a major city had been infiltrated by Grimm. At Beacon, things continued at normal, but you could see it. The determination in everyone's eyes, the hushed whispers in dark hallways. The innocence and luster of being a Huntress or Hunter had worn off, replaced, whether you liked it or not, by the reality of the situation, which was this: things would never be the same. Interaction between schools was low, neither one trusting the other. The Vytal tournament had been pushed back a week, so that troops could be flown in to guard the festivities. Cinder Fall observed it all with quiet satisfaction. She had this school running scared. They were fools, only reacting to stimuli. This changed nothing, she was still in control. She held all the cards. Leave Roman to rot or free him, it was of no consequence. He would only give Ironwood what she told him, which wasn't much. Tools, all of them. If they broke, it was only an inevitability. She would find another if need be. Cinder let a slight smile grace her featureless face. Her two proteges, Emerald and Mercury, observed Cinder with quiet interest. Let them think what they will, try to decipher what I'm thinking. Keep them occupied. She could not let those two get any thoughts of ambition. They would be deterred once they saw her in the tournament. She would win, of course. That Pyrrha girl was interesting, as well as a choice few others. Breaking them would fun. Cinder turned around from the window she was looking out of, and spoke to Emerald and Mercury.

"Are you up for a challenge?" Mercury didn't speak, merely scoffed. Emerald addressed Cinder,

"What do need us to do?"

"I have decided that Roman is useful enough for us to break him out. Not yet: you don't need to move now. I want him freed the day before the tournament begins. Maximum chaos, Ironwood and his cronies pissing themselves over how such a thing could've happened. Ozpin will start to question his actions, Ironwood will push for him to step up security. Yes, the day before. Now leave me alone. I have things I must attend to that you are not required for." Mercury merely shrugged and left. Emerald lagged behind.

"Do you want him broken out quiet or loud?"

"Loud." Perfect. Emerald nodded and closed the door.

* * *

 **Ruby sat alongside Weiss in her bed, facing Blake and Yang, who were doing the same in Yang's bed.**

"I know we haven't talked about it, but..." said Ruby, before getting interrupted by Yang.

"I know. We haven't done any work for our little side project in a while. But with the tournament coming up" Yang was interrupted by her Faunus partner.

"I don't know if we should enter the tournament. I mean, how much time will it take up? Besides, with other students distracted, we have more breathing room." Blake interjected.

"That's preposterous!"

"Guys, stop, don't fight like this..."

"We can't just sit by and-"

"We aren't! We can't go on forever, we just took a major step!"

"Did we? Because all I have since the Breach are more questions and not any answers!" yelled Blake. Her golden eyes turned downcast once she saw her shocked teammates. "I'm sorry, it's just...frustrating. How do you deal with not knowing? Do you even care?" she finished, voice cracking at the last sentence. Yang put her arm around the girl.

"Of course we care," she said softly. "That's why I've done some digging. Well, look, it's better if he just shows you. I found a guy, and I think he can help us with some answers."

* * *

 **"Mister…what may I call you?" Professor Ozpin said, looking past the transcript in his hand.**

"Just uh…call me Amber, I guess."

"Andy. While I may not stoke you as a particularly observant person, I assure you I am. I require your complete honesty, otherwise there will be serious…repercussions in the future, should I find out you lied."

"I understand, sir."

"Now. Let's start with your hometown. You didn't mark anything."

"I don't know where I come from."

"Where were you before your time here?"

"Vacuo."

"Anywhere specific?" the headmaster steepled his fingers.

"Outside the walls."

"I see. Amber, your name on this transcript is troubling. If your last name is the same as.."

"It is."

"I see." the man nodded his head. "If this is true, this changes everything. She was a lunatic, none of those rituals ever worked, but if you are who you say you are, there may be some…fallout."

"I understand."

"Very well. But remember this: when someone finds what you work so hard to keep under wraps, there will be no more hiding. There is no telling if the world will be ready, but I ask this of you: will you?" Ozpin looked in the potential student's midnight eyes. Amber merely turned and walked out.

"Welcome to Beacon, Mister Fiend." muttered Ozpin, looking at the transcript. "Oum help us all."

 **Really excited to see what you think! See you next time everyone!**


End file.
